Bartender HQ Podcast : Bar Culture, Cocktails and Flair Bartending for Everyone.http://bartenderhq.com
Cocktail recipes, Mixology, Bartender tips and how to earn more money behind the bar.Tue, 13 Nov 2018 06:49:06 +0000en-GBhourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.8https://i2.wp.com/bartenderhq.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-BTHQ-Coupe-1.png?fit=32%2C32Bartender HQ Podcast : Bar Culture, Cocktails and Flair Bartending for Everyone.http://bartenderhq.com
3232Quick tips and news from the world of bartending and cocktails. Make more tips with our weekly Tips for Tips section, Flair competition results, Interviews with top bar owners, mixology professionals and performance bartenders from around the world.<br />
David Sangwell (Known as Scooby) has 14 years experience as a bartender with TGI Friday's, Chicago Rock Cafe, Weatherspoons, Reflex and independent night clubs, as well as opening boutique hotels in Dubai for the One &amp; Only resorts on the Palm Jumeirah, creating cocktail menus and training bartenders around the world. David shares his experience to make more tips behind the bar and discusses the latest trends in drinks &amp; cocktail culture.David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQcleanDavid Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQDavid@BartenderHQ.comDavid@BartenderHQ.com (David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQ)Cocktail Recipes, Tips on making Tips and Bartending advice with David Scooby SangwellBartender HQ Podcast : Bar Culture, Cocktails and Flair Bartending for Everyone.http://bartenderhq.com/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/BartenderHQ2.pnghttp://bartenderhq.com
66655608Flair Bartending: a Primer | BartenderHQ Podcasthttp://bartenderhq.com/flair-bartending-a-primer-bartenderhq-podcast/
Mon, 12 Nov 2018 16:34:43 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=5000http://bartenderhq.com/flair-bartending-a-primer-bartenderhq-podcast/#respondhttp://bartenderhq.com/flair-bartending-a-primer-bartenderhq-podcast/feed/0<p>On this podcast we go through the questions asked on our Flair Q&A for the Craft Bartender Community on Facebook, followed by the 5 moves to start with if you want to learn flair. It’s our primer on flair bartending. Industry News from BartenderHQ Vegas Museum opens Prohibition Inspired Distillery Whistlepig Legend Dave Pickerell dies. […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/flair-bartending-a-primer-bartenderhq-podcast/">Flair Bartending: a Primer | BartenderHQ Podcast</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this podcast we go through the questions asked on our Flair Q&A for the Craft Bartender Community on Facebook, followed by the 5 moves to start with if you want to learn flair. It’s our primer on flair bartending.
Industry News from BartenderHQ

Your Primer on Flair Bartending
As anyone who’s listened to this podcast for any length of time will know, I love flair bartending. I’ve always championed flair as an art form as well as being a good business practice if it suits your bar.
During this podcast I’ll cover the questions raised and answered in our Q&A session on the Craft Bartender Community, as well as sharing my 5 recommended tricks you should learn first if you want to get into flair in a real way behind your bar. Think of these as an easy and safe way to dip your toe into the warm waters of flair bartending.
Want to learn more? Check out our YouTube channel. Or you can check our article on assembling a FREE Flair practice kit.]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean5000Are you solving the right problems in your bar?http://bartenderhq.com/are-you-solving-the-right-problems-in-your-bar/
Sun, 28 Oct 2018 12:12:09 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=4952http://bartenderhq.com/are-you-solving-the-right-problems-in-your-bar/#respondhttp://bartenderhq.com/are-you-solving-the-right-problems-in-your-bar/feed/0<p>As a bartender, especially on busy shifts other than making drinks, you can often find yourself dealing with the issues that come up throughout the night. Whether its a customer complaint, out of stock item, long wait on food or slip or trip to deal with, we (and managers) see it all. But, are you […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/are-you-solving-the-right-problems-in-your-bar/">Are you solving the right problems in your bar?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>As a bartender, especially on busy shifts other than making drinks, you can often find yourself dealing with the issues that come up throughout the night. Whether its a customer complaint, out of stock item,
Industry News:

This Week at BartenderHQ
This week I’ve been bartending again, with my first double shift at Fridays in 8 years, which hurts. I’ve also been over to Leicester with ODK Mixers which have been really well received over there, as well as mixing up drinks in the Shakespeare Memorial Room at the Library of Birmingham for leading hoteliers from the city.
I’ll also be doing a Questions and Answers session over on the Craft Bartender Community, run by the guys from Mixology Talk and A Bar Above answering all your burning questions on the world of flair bartending on Sunday 28th October at Midnight GMT.
Are you solving the right problems in your bar?
In this episode’s main event we talk about:

* Complaint handling – During a shift as well as after the fact.
* Slips and Trips
* Kitchen delays
* Out of stock items (the 86 list)
* High Turnover of staff

At BartenderHQ
My shoulder injury is getting much better so I’ll be getting back to flair practice soon, though I won’t be entering the “That Flair Comp” in Manchester. Flair clips are going live over on our instagram!
Cost cutting for Bars
The main subject this week is how to avoid ruining the experience of your bar through cost cutting. We delve into the consequences of cutting labour, consumables, glassware and product on your bar’s bottom line.]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean4944What is a Bartender’s Job? | Podcasthttp://bartenderhq.com/bartenders-job/
Tue, 16 Oct 2018 20:12:02 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=4932http://bartenderhq.com/bartenders-job/#respondhttp://bartenderhq.com/bartenders-job/feed/0<p>On this week’s show we discuss (and I RANT about) what is a Bartender’s Job? Along with our usual industry news and what’s going on at BartenderHQ this week. Drinks Industry News Elon Musk to launch Teslaquila – Trademark Registered! Johnnie Walker to open Madrid flagship store Angel’s Envy aims to connect drinkers and distillers […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/bartenders-job/">What is a Bartender’s Job? | Podcast</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s show we discuss (and I RANT about) what is a Bartender’s Job? Along with our usual industry news and what’s going on at BartenderHQ this week. Drinks Industry News Elon Musk to launch Teslaquila – Trademark Registered!
Drinks Industry News

Bartender’s Job, Do you know what it is?
We’re talking about making sure your priorities as a bartender are in the right place in this week’s main course.
There is nothing more important as a bartender than making money for the business. Everything else is secondary, be that your tips, great service etc. That doesn’t mean the others are neglected, but that those things are a means to the end of bringing money into the bar’s business to pay the wages and bills and keeping the bar open.
It gets a bit ranty, but I hope you see where I’m coming from. Agree or not, let me know!]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean4932Project hero & Chicks with Flicks | Podcasthttp://bartenderhq.com/project-hero-chicks-with-flicks-podcast/
Sun, 07 Oct 2018 23:04:50 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=4918http://bartenderhq.com/project-hero-chicks-with-flicks-podcast/#respondhttp://bartenderhq.com/project-hero-chicks-with-flicks-podcast/feed/0<p>On this week’s Podcast – I begin #ProjectHero, I talk about what’s next for me work wise as well as my trip to the Roadhouse for Chicks with Flicks in Covent Garden London. Industry News The Spirits Business’ Top 10 Spirit launches of September 2018 Proper No.12 Whiskey from Conor McGregor Aerstone Single Malts from […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/project-hero-chicks-with-flicks-podcast/">Project hero & Chicks with Flicks | Podcast</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s Podcast – I begin #ProjectHero, I talk about what’s next for me work wise as well as my trip to the Roadhouse for Chicks with Flicks in Covent Garden London. Industry News The Spirits Business’ Top 10 Spirit launches of September 2018 Pr...
Industry News
The Spirits Business’ Top 10 Spirit launches of September 2018

The Main Course – Chicks & Flicks
Chicks and Flicks is the Roadhouse’s all female flair competition. I attended and the standard was incredibly high. There is no difference in the skill level of the best ladies in flair compared to the guys, we just need more women encouraged to learn the art. Incredible show from all the competitors. You can find clips on our instagram over at @BartenderHQPics
#ProjectHero
Project Hero sees me aiming to hit the gym every day for the next 100 days without missing a day. Inspired by Zack Prohaska of YouFlair, who is currently going from 400 days to 500 days without a day off. His transformation has been phenomenal, and if you’re interested in flair you have to check out his channel.]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean17:414918Sorting Out Your Bar Or Restaurant Bookings with ToGo | Podcasthttp://bartenderhq.com/sorting-out-your-bar-or-restaurant-bookings-with-togo-podcast/
Sun, 30 Sep 2018 11:36:55 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=4906http://bartenderhq.com/sorting-out-your-bar-or-restaurant-bookings-with-togo-podcast/#respondhttp://bartenderhq.com/sorting-out-your-bar-or-restaurant-bookings-with-togo-podcast/feed/0<p>Restaurant bookings can be a pain. Miss one and your whole night can be thrown into chaos, with booked tables waiting and filling up the bar, bartenders in the weeds and unable to serve their regulars properly, you get the idea. That’s why we spoke to Gerard from TOGO today, to find our how their […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/sorting-out-your-bar-or-restaurant-bookings-with-togo-podcast/">Sorting Out Your Bar Or Restaurant Bookings with ToGo | Podcast</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Restaurant bookings can be a pain. Miss one and your whole night can be thrown into chaos, with booked tables waiting and filling up the bar, bartenders in the weeds and unable to serve their regulars properly, you get the idea.
Industry News from BartenderHQ

Main Event – TOGO Restaurant Bookings
TOGO allows bars, restaurants and even boutique hotels to manage their bookings simply and in an intelegent way, as well as including customer relationship management features. Check out all their features at the TOGO website]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean15:514906Preparing for a Flair Competition – Bartender HQ Podcasthttp://bartenderhq.com/preparing-for-a-flair-competition/
Sun, 16 Sep 2018 19:47:36 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=4888http://bartenderhq.com/preparing-for-a-flair-competition/#respondhttp://bartenderhq.com/preparing-for-a-flair-competition/feed/0<p>On this week’s podcast – were talking about Flair, specifically preparing for a flair competition, as that’s exactly what I’m doing! Industry News Wetherspoon prepares for Brexit by dumping European brands JD Wetherspoon pubs in the UK have announced they are delisting Hennessy and Courvoisier Cognacs and Jagermeister in favour of non EU products from […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/preparing-for-a-flair-competition/">Preparing for a Flair Competition – Bartender HQ Podcast</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s podcast – were talking about Flair, specifically preparing for a flair competition, as that’s exactly what I’m doing! Industry News Wetherspoon prepares for Brexit by dumping European brands JD Wetherspoon pubs in the UK have announced t...
Industry News
Wetherspoon prepares for Brexit by dumping European brands
JD Wetherspoon pubs in the UK have announced they are delisting Hennessy and Courvoisier Cognacs and Jagermeister in favour of non EU products from Black Barrel, E&J Brandy and Stryke – a British herbal liqueur. Full Article
Conor McGregor’s Notorious Whisky is no more
MMA Fighter Conor McGregor last year announced he would enter the Irish Whisky market with Notorious – however the name is already owned by a brewery who make Notorious Red IPA. A replacement name and brand has not been announced at the time of publication. Full Article

Preparing for a Flair Competition
As mentioned above, I’m preparing for a flair competition next week and documenting the process on our YouTube channel. So far we’ve broken down the general process, as well as deep diving into the rules. Over the next week we’ll cover selecting music, creating the routine, setting up a practice area and getting everything together to be ready to go on the day. We’ll also share video on the day as I’ll be introducing all the bartenders on the night at Samoan Joes in Coventry!]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean4888Tipll – become a local anywhere!http://bartenderhq.com/tipll-become-a-local-anywhere/
Sun, 09 Sep 2018 16:39:52 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=4878http://bartenderhq.com/tipll-become-a-local-anywhere/#respondhttp://bartenderhq.com/tipll-become-a-local-anywhere/feed/0<p>On this week’s podcast we talk to Grant Thompson from Tipll – a new app that allows people going fora night out in a new city to find the best bars and drink like a local, through the magic of augmented reality on their phone. Tipll – Drink like a local! Tipll lets users filter […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/tipll-become-a-local-anywhere/">Tipll – become a local anywhere!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s podcast we talk to Grant Thompson from Tipll – a new app that allows people going fora night out in a new city to find the best bars and drink like a local, through the magic of augmented reality on their phone.Tipll – a new app that allows people going fora night out in a new city to find the best bars and drink like a local, through the magic of augmented reality on their phone.

Tipll – Drink like a local!
Tipll lets users filter bars, restaurants and clubs according to their preferences, flags up venue information and offers, and leads them to the door using built-in GPS functionality.
Quick but accurate live ratings and reviews let others engage with those experiences in real time, while additional in-app features to be introduced later in 2018 – such as cashless payments and taxi ordering – will make Tipll a one-stop shop for a night out.

Benefits for users and venues of Tipll
The brains behind Tipll is local entrepreneur Grant Thompson, who has drawn from years of experience working in the leisure industry to create an app that’s as useful for venues and destinations as it is fun for users.
“By Tipll-ing it, visitors spend less time searching for a venue that suits them, and more time enjoying the experience when they get there”, Grant explained.
“At the same time, by giving easy access to useful information about different bars, restaurants and clubs, Tipll is able to increase the footfall and dwell time that local businesses receive, while also encouraging responsible drinking.
“One of the most attractive features for venues is Tipll’s live promotional service using augmented reality – a bit like Pokémon Go for bars. Restaurants and pubs can promote their up-to-date offers to passers-by that have the app, and users simply point their phone at a participating venue to view the current deals.”
Tipll’s main audience will be people who are visiting new cities for short breaks or for work, though Grant also sees the app appealing to students and large groups, such as stag and hen parties.
One handy filter function lets groups find venues that will welcome them, with plans to add pre-purchasing of drinks via the app. Several safety-related features are also in development, including a personal kitty for taxi fares, and a find-a-friend service to prevent members of a group getting separated from each other.
As well as creating a tool that promotes venues and helps visitors have a better night out, Grant is also keen for organisations such as local councils and Business Improvement Districts to take advantage of the social data that the app collects.
“Tipll gathers all kinds of insights about patterns of trade, and the trends of the people visiting that area, that haven’t been available before.
“For example, it tracks what drinks users buy, average transaction value, dwell time in each venue, demographic data, where users are visiting from, and the routes they take between bars, interlinking this with data from hotspots.
“This data has lots of potentially useful applications, such as driving traffic from one area to another through call-to-action promotions, tracking visitor trends, or informing decisions about where to open new restaurants or bars.
“Our primary purpose with Tipll is to create something that users love, and that makes going out in a new city easy, safe and fun. However, by also building lasting relationships with destinations and venues, we’re really excited about the wider opportunities to promote and better understand our vibrant local economies.”]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean4878How Tequila is Made | Agave Month BartenderHQ Podcasthttp://bartenderhq.com/how-tequila-is-made/
Sun, 19 Aug 2018 12:38:35 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=4813http://bartenderhq.com/how-tequila-is-made/#respondhttp://bartenderhq.com/how-tequila-is-made/feed/0<p>On this week’s podcast we’re talking about how Tequila is made – as well as our regular look at industry news and a look back on the week at BartenderHQ Industry News Ryan Reynolds has been promoting Aviation Gin with Jimmy Fallon on US TV Alcohol and energy drinks are a bad combination for humans […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/how-tequila-is-made/">How Tequila is Made | Agave Month BartenderHQ Podcast</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s podcast we’re talking about how Tequila is made – as well as our regular look at industry news and a look back on the week at BartenderHQ Industry News Ryan Reynolds has been promoting Aviation Gin with Jimmy Fallon on US TV Alcohol and ...
Industry News
Ryan Reynolds has been promoting Aviation Gin with Jimmy Fallon on US TVAlcohol and energy drinks are a bad combination for humansVK Announces new Watermelon variety following public pollLondon Rum Week Announced
The Catch Up on BartenderHQ

How Tequila is Made
Fermentation:
Starting off with a product that contains sugar or starches that can be turned into sugar, yeast is added which eats through the sugars and excretes alcohol and carbon dioxide. At between 12-16%ABV, the alcohol becomes toxic for the yeast so fermentation stops.
Distillation
To get a spirit up to a more useful strength, we take advantage of different evaporation points. While water boils at 100C Ethanol is 78C, so we can extract more of this by controlling the temperature. Allowing the alcohol to evaporate off more quickly than the water, the steam can be captured and cooled turning it back into a liquid, but with a higher ABV and less impurities than before. The distillation process can be repeated to further purify the product.
How Tequila is made specifically
The source of sugars for Tequila is the Blue Weber Agave Pina, which has its leaves cut away and the heart of the Pina is used. These are harvested in the fields by Jimadors who use specialised knives to remove the spines. In Autoclaves and Brick Oven methods, the Pina are cooked whole and then have the juice extracted for fermentation. In the case of the diffuser, the Pina is shredded raw and the juice extracted and cooked, sometimes through the use of acids. This gives a higher yield, extracting more of the sugars, however the flavour is seriously degraded.

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean4813Casa Agave Talks Tequila & Mezcal | Agave Monthhttp://bartenderhq.com/casaagave/
Sun, 12 Aug 2018 19:47:21 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=4774http://bartenderhq.com/casaagave/#respondhttp://bartenderhq.com/casaagave/feed/0<p>Casa Agave’s Jen Foley is with us on this week’s podcasts talking about how Casa Agave began and their amazing Tequila and Mezcal. Casa Agave is a UK importer and distributor of Agave products. Industry News – Millennials shun beer and wine for spirits Full Story In news that really didn’t surprise me at all, […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/casaagave/">Casa Agave Talks Tequila & Mezcal | Agave Month</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Casa Agave’s Jen Foley is with us on this week’s podcasts talking about how Casa Agave began and their amazing Tequila and Mezcal. Casa Agave is a UK importer and distributor of Agave products. Industry News – Millennials shun beer and wine for spirits...
Industry News – Millennials shun beer and wine for spiritsFull Story
In news that really didn’t surprise me at all, Millennials are more likely to be ordering spirits than beers or wines today. This doesn’t surprise me at all, its so easy to crack open a beer or pour a glass of wine at home, so why would people pay much more for the same in a bar. On the flip side, good spirits often represent a much higher cost of entry, $30+ a bottle, so its more economical to try them at least in a bar first. On top of that, a skilled bartender can add much more value to a spirit in its preparation into a cocktail than simply pouring a beer.
The Catch Up – This week at BartenderHQ

In our interview today we talk to Jennifer Foley from Casa Agave and 400 Rabbits in Nottingham. Casa Agave is a UK distributor to the public and trade specialising in Tequila, Mezcal and other Mexican spirits. They also have a range of Mexican drinkware available on their website.
Products we tasted in the show:

https://www.casa-agave.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean4774Agave Month is Here!http://bartenderhq.com/agave-month/
Sun, 05 Aug 2018 11:00:14 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=4728<p>August is Agave Month! Following July’s 80s month celebrating the Anniversary of Cocktail’s release, August is Agave Month. All month we’ll be learning more about the spirits of Mexico (and beyond) and reimagining classic cocktails using Agave spirits. Agave Month This month’s Agave focus will also be an opportunity for me to expand my knowledge […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/agave-month/">Agave Month is Here!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Tequila, Mezcal and more this month at BartenderHQ
Agave Month
This month’s Agave focus will also be an opportunity for me to expand my knowledge – I know the basics but its a huge category so you can join me on my journey of discovery as we learn more about Agave as a plant as well as the spirits it produces.
Latest Industry NewsThe Spirits Business has released its list of the top 10 product launches in July 2018

The Main Event – Agave Month
Check back this month for more Tequila, Mezcal and more – including interviews with Casa Agave and AquaRiva founder Cleo Rocos. We’ll also look at the different production methods of Tequila and Mezcal including the controversial Diffuser method and how it affects flavour in spirits.
We’re looking to work with any interested brands to raise awareness of Agave, Tequila and Mezcal too, so please feel free to reach out and get in touch.
As always, you can join us on Social Media and join the conversation with BartenderHQ

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean4728I Trained Tom Cruise in Cocktail – JB Bandyhttp://bartenderhq.com/i-trained-tom-cruise-in-cocktail-jb-bandy/
Sun, 29 Jul 2018 11:37:50 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=4709<p>On the 30th Anniversary of the release of Cocktail we’re incredibly proud to present our interview with JB Bandy, the man who trained Tom Cruise and Bryan Brown to flair bartend for the movie. Without JB Bandy, flair bartending may never have gained the popularity it has today. JB Bandy Worked the Same Bar as […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/i-trained-tom-cruise-in-cocktail-jb-bandy/">I Trained Tom Cruise in Cocktail – JB Bandy</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On the 30th Anniversary of the release of Cocktail we’re incredibly proud to present our interview with JB Bandy, the man who trained Tom Cruise and Bryan Brown to flair bartend for the movie. Without JB Bandy,
JB Bandy Worked the Same Bar as Me!
In this interview we discuss how he originally got involved with the Cocktail movie, some of his experiences and where his secret cameo in the film can be found. Yes, he’s actually in Cocktail! It also turns out JB Bandy and I have worked behind the very same bar, TGI Fridays in Birmingham, the first to open in the UK.
So pour yourself a Daiquiri, sit back and enjoy this chat with a true legend of the bar industry! Happy Birthday Cocktail!

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean22:194709Nostalgia in bars – Music & Themehttp://bartenderhq.com/nostalgia-in-bars-music-theme/
Sun, 22 Jul 2018 22:30:17 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=4676<p>Nostalgia in bars can be a great way to engage your guests and give them a reason to stay. We’ll be talking in more detail with my wife, Jo Eden-Sangwell later in the show. Industry News: Stonegate Buys Be At One Full Story: https://news.sky.com/story/slug-and-lettuce-owner-toasts-50m-takeover-of-be-at-one-chain-11445611 Stonegate pub company has reportedly purchased the Be At One group, which […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/nostalgia-in-bars-music-theme/">Nostalgia in bars – Music & Theme</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Nostalgia in bars can be a great way to engage your guests and give them a reason to stay. We’ll be talking in more detail with my wife, Jo Eden-Sangwell later in the show. Industry News: Stonegate Buys Be At One Full Story: https://news.sky.
Industry News: Stonegate Buys Be At One
Full Story: https://news.sky.com/story/slug-and-lettuce-owner-toasts-50m-takeover-of-be-at-one-chain-11445611
Stonegate pub company has reportedly purchased the Be At One group, which has around 30 cocktail bars across the UK. The chain started in London around 20 years ago when three bartenders got car loans to open their first bar, and the rest is history. Drawing much of its culture from TGI Fridays at the time, they run their own internal bartender competitions and have industry leading training and development programs.
This Week at BartenderHQ

The Main Event – Jo Eden-Sangwell Interview on Nostalgia in Bars
Jo Eden-Sangwell (my wife) has spent 12 years in retro bars and in this interview we’re talking about retro music and the value of nostalgia in the bar industry to engage your guests.
We talk about primary nostalgia (the music of your youth), secondary nostalgia (the music your parents were listening to during your youth) and re-nostalgia, your early adulthood music when you created your own tastes.
Find Jo and Dance Aspirations (her new project) on Facebook & Instagram
Music Credits
Miami Viceroy Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean467680s Month Continues – Cocktail Guest Reveal!http://bartenderhq.com/80s-month-continues-podcast/
Sun, 15 Jul 2018 21:10:18 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=4614<p>Cocktail turns 30 in 2 weeks time, and in this show we’ll be talking about its effect on the bar industry. Our 80s Month continues! Cocktail Bartenders Commentary is Here Industry News BenRiach distillery has moved into fashion with the launch of a line that “celebrates the creative approaches to whisky distilling and clothing design”. […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/80s-month-continues-podcast/">80s Month Continues – Cocktail Guest Reveal!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Cocktail turns 30 in 2 weeks time, and in this show we’ll be talking about its effect on the bar industry. Our 80s Month continues! Cocktail Bartenders Commentary is Here Industry News BenRiach distillery has moved into fashion with the launch of a lin...Cocktail Bartenders Commentary is Here
Industry News

The Main Course – Cocktail’s Cultural Impact
There are few movies that have had more impact on the bar industry than Cocktail. It was the first really mainstream exposure to flair bartending, and has inspired a generation or more of bartenders to get into the industry.
Our Cocktail Anniversary interview – JB Bandy will be on the show in 2 weeks!
We’re delighted to announce that JB Bandy, the man who trained Tom Cruise and Bryan Brown for the iconic movie will be on the July 29th podcast. Please spread the word and celebrate the film’s 30th Anniversary with BartenderHQ.]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean20:134614Helping your fellow bartender in need.http://bartenderhq.com/bartender-in-need/
Sun, 08 Jul 2018 21:46:19 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=4554<p>Should we as a community come together to help a bartender in need? One British Facebook group this week didn’t think so, and it caused some waves. Industry News: Dead Rabbit to Re-Open after Fire The Dead Rabbit in New York suffered a suspected kitchen fire on July 1st 2018. The venue has now announced […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/bartender-in-need/">Helping your fellow bartender in need.</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Should we as a community come together to help a bartender in need? One British Facebook group this week didn’t think so, and it caused some waves. Industry News: Dead Rabbit to Re-Open after Fire The Dead Rabbit in New York suffered a suspected kitche...
Industry News: Dead Rabbit to Re-Open after Fire
The Dead Rabbit in New York suffered a suspected kitchen fire on July 1st 2018. The venue has now announced they plan to re-open Thursday July 19th, admittedly with a cold menu until their main kitchen is backhttps://www.instagram.com/p/Bk2yePVgoT5
CO2 Crisis hits Mexico
Following shortages in the UK and Europe over the summer months hitting brewers and drinks producers at large, Mexico is now beginning to suffer shortages. Be aware you could see disruption of Mexican beers over the coming months.
This Week on BartenderHQ
New Drinks:

* Wild Again – Named for the Cocktail Soundtrack song of the same name, this is an agave Mai Tai style drink
* Bumblebee Cocktail– a Rum twist on the Bee’s Knees
* Boutique-y Blue Lagoon – a straight up gin version of the 80s disco drink classic
* Grape Jelly Flip – I love the flavour of Concord grapes, so this was part of my research into making it drinkable!

World Cup Drinks Pricing
Major news outlets in the UK were reporting this week on price gouging in a certain company’s pubs with 10-50p per drink added to prices during England’s World Cup games. I discussed my thoughts on this over on our YouTube Channel.
Bartender in Need, the community’s responsibility to help?
A major UK bartenders group on Facebook this week caused controversy when moderators took down an appeal for help for a fellow bartender in need in Asia. Not only this, but the way it was done caused outrage in a lot of the membership. We’ve shared the appeal on BartenderHQ’s Facebook page as well as the Worldwide Bartender Community on Facebook. If you can help, here’s the link to Help Tunny!Miami Viceroy Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean4554Bar Rescue’s Jon Taffer Launches No Excuses Podcasthttp://bartenderhq.com/bar-rescue-jon-taffer-no-excuses-podcast/
Sun, 01 Jul 2018 18:20:29 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=4490<p>Jon Taffer has launched his very own podcast this week with PodcastOne – No Excuses! Welcome to the community Jon, it’s great to have you here. Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer’s hit TV show is now in its 6th season with over 160 episodes aired. PodcastOne on No Excuses by Jon Taffer “Shut It Down and […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/bar-rescue-jon-taffer-no-excuses-podcast/">Bar Rescue’s Jon Taffer Launches No Excuses Podcast</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Discussing the new Podcast from Bar Rescue's Jon Taffer - No Excuses!

PodcastOne on No Excuses by Jon Taffer
“Shut It Down and listen as Jon, the award-winning hospitality legend, best-selling author, and top-rated television personality of Bar Rescue, brings his straight talk and unapologetic approach to daily topics, current events, and celebrity guest interviews. Get ready for genuine opinions, in-your-face analysis, and unforgettable interviews. Your day isn’t complete until Jon tells you it is! NO EXCUSES!”
While Jon caused some controversy in the bar industry with his comments on Mezcal and Tequila (below) his knowledge as an operator and businessman can’t be denied.
“I’m not sure if there’s a definition of one gets you angry or not, but tequila is inherently made from mezcal, which mescaline, the hallucinogenic drug is made from. So tequila can have a hallucinogenic component, you might be talking to someone who’s not there. (Laughs)”Full article on Vice from which this quote is taken.
A while ago we interviewed Mr Russell Davis, one of Jon Taffer’s experts on Bar Rescue, and you can find the full interview here.
GaryVee on Wine & Cereal Pairings: (Wine Library TV)
Gary Vaynerchuk most likely had a hand in the creation or at least inspiration behind Jon Taffer’s Podcast venture as Jon was a guest on the #AskGaryVee show. Gary started out in the wine business growing his father’s liquor store from 3 to 60million dollars in revenue over a short time. As a part of this process, Gary created Wine Library TV, which ran in the early days of YouTube for over 1000 episodes.

Gordon Ramsay Bartending
This got a little shout out in the show so I thought I’d include it. Gordon Ramsey bartending is a delight to watch. Be aware, it gets a bit sweary, as you might expect. However, you’ll see how he really does respect the work of the bartenders here, and I think it’s very useful for chefs to see the work our bar teams do, and vice versa.

Join us over on Instagram at instagram.com/bartenderhqpics!
Miami Viceroy Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/]]>David Eden Sangwell & Samuel Boultonclean4490Bars Need Humans. We’re Allowed Opinions.http://bartenderhq.com/bars-need-humans-were-allowed-opinions/
Sun, 24 Jun 2018 22:43:48 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=4467<p>Its a bit of a philosphical episode this week about bartending. While we started with some updates, the real theme here is that bars need humans. While cocktails may end up being easily available either pre-packaged, sold at retail or may even fall from fashion, the real key that draws customers out from their homes […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/bars-need-humans-were-allowed-opinions/">Bars Need Humans. We’re Allowed Opinions.</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>How to have great conversations with your guests at the bar.
While cocktails may end up being easily available either pre-packaged, sold at retail or may even fall from fashion, the real key that draws customers out from their homes is not the drink, but the human interaction. As Bartenders, even as automation moves on and on, we offer a value that computers and robots won’t have for a long while. The art of conversation. Don’t lose our unique selling point.

Being a conversation maker
There are a few things of course that you’ll need to bear in mind while making conversation, as the last thing you want to do is upset your guests or get into an argument. That said, you are entitled to have an opinion, its just best not to shove it down an unwilling guest’s throat.

* Never tell a guest they’re wrong. Its great to discuss ideas, but present why you have the belief you do rather than belittling the views of others.
* You don’t have to change their mind. All you should do is open eyes to another possibility.

While I think everyone should be able to discuss their ideas, remember that you’re there first and foremost to keep your guests happy and make your bar money, so don’t compromise your priorities while having discussions with your guests, and certainly don’t neglect other guests either.

]]>David Eden-Sangwellclean44675 Differences Between British and American Barshttp://bartenderhq.com/5-differences-between-british-and-american-bars/
Sun, 10 Jun 2018 20:09:58 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=4422<p>The British pub is an icon, known around the world, but they’re very different from a typical bar in the states. Let’s talk about that. Here are 5 big differences between British and American bars. 1: Our bartenders typically make no money. While the bartenders in America are able to make huge amounts of tips […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/5-differences-between-british-and-american-bars/">5 Differences Between British and American Bars</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>The British pub is an icon, known around the world, but they’re very different from a typical bar in the states. Let’s talk about that. Here are 5 big differences between British and American bars. 1: Our bartenders typically make no money.
1: Our bartenders typically make no money.
While the bartenders in America are able to make huge amounts of tips from week to week given the culture, British bar staff will often make less than £5-10 in a shift.
That being said, the wages for a bartender in the UK are typically a little higher than in the US, around £8 (or $12) an hour. If you’re looking to make more cash in the UK hospitality industry, working as a server in a restaurant is almost always more lucrative.

2: If a cocktail isn’t explicitly on the menu, you probably can’t have it.
When we visited the US, one thing I was surprised to see was fairly short cocktail menus in most bars. It turned out that this was because American bars typically only list their specialities, as bartenders are generally expected to know the classics by default.
However in the UK, many bars will list their full repertoire of cocktails and the staff will only be trained to make what is on the menu. While drinks like Negronis are now starting to appear on some pub menus, unless you’re in a high end bar its probably best to stick to the list.
3: Food may be served for really weird hours.
If you’re at an independent pub or bar, you may well find that the kitchen is closed in the afternoons, defining a break between lunch and dinner service.
That being said, it was only in the late 80s that pubs were able to serve alcohol between 2:40pm and 6:30pm – repealing the World War One “Defence of the Realm” Act, designed to keep the workers at munitions factories from drunkenly blowing themselves up.

4: Our pubs look way cooler.
One of the benefits of having what we call “history” in the UK, is that many old pubs look like a set from Harry Potter. While you won’t be able to indulge in a butter beer in almost any of them, you will be able to rejoice in a combination of stained glass windows, uneven floors, ceiling beams and doorways so small as to hand out concussions like an American football college scholarship.
5: We love gin more than anything right now.
While the image of the Pub is often of the “warm” real ales that are pumped by hand from the cellar (so actually served around 11 degrees Celsius), you’re more likely to find Gin & Tonics the order of the day. Craft spirits in the UK have been lead by gin, not whiskey and many pubs now have long lists of gins available.
Oh, and don’t even mention tonic from a gun, we’ll have bottled tonic thank you very much!

Of course, we also have some of the best cocktail bars in the world here in the UK, and they’ll make you whatever you’d like, along with the thriving independent bar scene. If you’d like to hear more about these, or what I missed in this video, let me know in the comments!
Music: “Secret of Tiki Island” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean4422Sam Went To Japan.http://bartenderhq.com/sam-went-to-japan/
Mon, 04 Jun 2018 08:48:34 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=4371<p>Sam went to Japan at the end of last year and into 2018, just before the opening of the Vanguard and while the builders did their thing. In this podcast we’re having a chat about a little of what he saw and experienced. Once he’d established how the weather in Japan is, we moved onto […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/sam-went-to-japan/">Sam Went To Japan.</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Sam went to Japan at the end of last year and into 2018, just before the opening of the Vanguard and while the builders did their thing. In this podcast we’re having a chat about a little of what he saw and experienced.
Once he’d established how the weather in Japan is, we moved onto actually talking about bars in a way you might care about, we promise.

A Few Hundred Pounds of Kobe Beef.
Sam ate stupidly expensive meat, and would do so again. He super enjoyed the experience itself and would take others next time to see their reactions.
Akashi Tai Sake Brewery, Japan
A visit to the Akashi Tai’s Sake brewery in Japan revealed not only non-alcoholic Sake but also that Sake in Japan just means alcohol – if you’re after the rice wine we’d expect, order Nihonshu. That said, if you’re from overseas and ask for sake, they’ll be pretty sure what you’re looking for is Nihonshu.
It turns out the grades of Sake are produced by different levels of milling and polishing of the rice that provides the starch and sugars for fermentation. Sam mentions how nuanced the whole category is so its something he’s really pushing to learn more about in the coming months.
Warming Sake Has Become a Thing.
Apparently the warmed Sake that we’re all familiar with was introduced as a way to hide poor quality exported products. Since then however, the producers have begun to produce Sake that is good quality and works chilled or warmed, so they’ve had to react to the market.
The Weird Stuff Is Here. The 3D Latte featuring Pokemon.
It had to happen – Sam’s Chai Lattes featuring Pikachu and Snorlax.

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean4371BartenderHQ Podcast 2.0 is here – What to expect!http://bartenderhq.com/bartenderhq-podcast-2-0-is-here-what-to-expect/
Mon, 23 Apr 2018 22:03:40 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=4144<p>BartenderHQ Podcast 2.0 Coming Soon: BartenderHQ Masters Series Sam Boulton is currently working on our Masters Series podcasts where he’ll deep dive into lesser known drinks, the nitty gritty of service and more. They’ll air every other week around the main BartenderHQ podcast you know and love so much. Coming Soon: David tries to flair […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/bartenderhq-podcast-2-0-is-here-what-to-expect/">BartenderHQ Podcast 2.0 is here – What to expect!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>BartenderHQ Podcast 2.0 Coming Soon: BartenderHQ Masters Series Sam Boulton is currently working on our Masters Series podcasts where he’ll deep dive into lesser known drinks, the nitty gritty of service and more.
Coming Soon: BartenderHQ Masters Series
Sam Boulton is currently working on our Masters Series podcasts where he’ll deep dive into lesser known drinks, the nitty gritty of service and more. They’ll air every other week around the main BartenderHQ podcast you know and love so much.
Coming Soon: David tries to flair like Tom Dyer
Friend of the show Tom Dyer put out the video below recently with some awesome working flair moves using the shakers and ice scoops – I’ll be attempting to replicate these moves. Don’t hold your breath!

I’ve always loved this style of flair, and we mentioned it on our Craft Flair episode.
Anchor FM
Soon to be our new podcast host assuming we can work some bugs out, Anchor is a really simple platform for podcasting that anyone can use from a phone. That also means we can easily have bartenders call into the shows and get involved, so let us know what you want to hear!
Memorising Cocktails eBook
We’re no longer selling our eBook direct, but you can find it at the link below, the Netflix of bar training. And there’s a free trial!
The Dead Shift and Cheapest Shot
Our favourite new bar podcast is on Anchor, so make this your excuse to check the platform out, and tell them we sent you! https://anchor.fm/the-dead-shift
Save Roadhouse
One of the world’s great flair institutions is under threat as the landlords want to bring in another chain. Help raise awareness and sign the petition to save The Roadhouse in Covent Garden and I’ll be eternally grateful! https://www.change.org/p/support-the-roadhouse-which-faces-eviction-by-property-developers

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean4144Cocktail Microherbs from Holland – Koppert Cresshttp://bartenderhq.com/cocktail-microherbs-holland-koppert-cress/
Tue, 27 Feb 2018 09:45:04 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=4029<p>Live from the Vanguard, David & Sam are talking about Koppert Cress – Cocktail Microherbs from Holland. The guys from Koppert Cress were kind enough to host us in Holland last year at their facility in Rotterdam, and then we spent an extra night exploring Amsterdam’s culture. Koppert Cress Microherbs Samples On the show: Dushi […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/cocktail-microherbs-holland-koppert-cress/">Cocktail Microherbs from Holland – Koppert Cress</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Live from the Vanguard, David & Sam are talking about Koppert Cress – Cocktail Microherbs from Holland. The guys from Koppert Cress were kind enough to host us in Holland last year at their facility in Rotterdam,
Koppert Cress Microherbs Samples
On the show:

You can find full details on all of the above at https://www.koppertcress.com with separate images and all the information you could need, including where to buy. Thanks again to Koppert Cress for hosting us.
There are incredible things that can be done with Microherbs and we’re just scratching the surface. In so many instances chefs have been way ahead of the bar industry, and perhaps here we can regain some ground. We’d love to see what you do with Microherbs so make sure you tag @BartenderHQ in any posts inspired by the show!

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean4029The Vanguard is Openhttp://bartenderhq.com/vanguard-open/
Mon, 05 Feb 2018 09:21:55 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=4017<p>Welcome back to the BartenderHQ Podcast and Sam is back, because finally The Vanguard is Open! Sam’s been working on the project since the middle of last year and finally, the builders are finished and the guests are in. Positioned in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter above 1000 Trades, The Vanguard offers modern cocktails and mead. […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/vanguard-open/">The Vanguard is Open</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Welcome back to the BartenderHQ Podcast and Sam is back, because finally The Vanguard is Open! Sam’s been working on the project since the middle of last year and finally, the builders are finished and the guests are in.
Sam’s been working on the project since the middle of last year and finally, the builders are finished and the guests are in. Positioned in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter above 1000 Trades, The Vanguard offers modern cocktails and mead.

The Vanguard at 1000 Trades
We touch on some of the popular drinks on the menu, as well as Sam’s philosophy about the structure of the menu and service in the venue.
Have any questions for Sam about the bar? Hit up @VanguardBar on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can also vote for Sam’s Fernet Branca coin here: fernet-branca.co.uk/coin/

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean4017Scott Young from Restaurant, Bar & Nightclub Traininghttp://bartenderhq.com/scott-young-restaurant-bar-nightclub-training/
Mon, 22 Jan 2018 08:55:31 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=4009<p>I’m so delighted to welcome to the podcast Scott Young from Restaurant, Bar & Nightclub Training. Scott Young’s Extreme Bartending was the series of videos that I learned the majority of my flair from in the early years around 2000-2002, and I probably wouldn’t still be in the industry without it. Scott Young’s Restaurant, Bar […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/scott-young-restaurant-bar-nightclub-training/">Scott Young from Restaurant, Bar & Nightclub Training</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>I’m so delighted to welcome to the podcast Scott Young from Restaurant, Bar & Nightclub Training. Scott Young’s Extreme Bartending was the series of videos that I learned the majority of my flair from in the early years around 2000-2002,
Scott Young’s Restaurant, Bar and Nightclub Training
Scott’s latest project combines the experience of around 50 educators from the industry in a single “Netflix for Bar Training” type model, where a small monthly subscription gets you unlimited access to the full library.
There’s training for all jobs in the industry, from bar-back to bar manager, kitchen porter to head chef and bouncer to GM.
You can even get a no-risk, no credit card free trial, so give it a go. There’s no such thing as too much knowledge!https://digital.nbrtraining.com/library?e=nightclubbarrestauranttraining]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean45:514009Rob Patchett from Cotswolds on the Podcasthttp://bartenderhq.com/rob-patchett-cotswolds-podcast/
Sun, 07 Jan 2018 17:00:32 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=3989<p>Sam’s away in Japan so this week, Rob Patchett is filling his seat, and we’re talking craft spirits, distilling, wine and terrible Old Fashioneds. Rob has been in the business longer than me, and has followed a different path. He’s a qualified Sommelier as well as a former bartender and now works with Gin and […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/rob-patchett-cotswolds-podcast/">Rob Patchett from Cotswolds on the Podcast</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Sam’s away in Japan so this week, Rob Patchett is filling his seat, and we’re talking craft spirits, distilling, wine and terrible Old Fashioneds. Rob has been in the business longer than me, and has followed a different path.
Rob has been in the business longer than me, and has followed a different path. He’s a qualified Sommelier as well as a former bartender and now works with Gin and Whisky, so will soon also be a qualified distiller!
Inside the world of Rob Patchett
We talk about the UK bar scene around Independent bars and chains as well as getting a little insight into the world of Rob Patchett.
If you want to hear more from Rob, especially about Cotswolds Gin or Whisky (or wine), you can find him on social media or tweet us @BartenderHQ
Find Rob:RobPatchett09 on Instagram

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean35:363989Happy New Year from BartenderHQhttp://bartenderhq.com/happy-new-year-bartenderhq/
Sun, 31 Dec 2017 23:21:45 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=3974<p>Its December 31st (at the time of writing and recording) so Happy New Year! Its also my 36th birthday, so double celebrations for me, as every year. Congratulations on making it through the holiday season, its time for you to kick back and enjoy yourselves. January can often be quiet for bars, not least because […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/happy-new-year-bartenderhq/">Happy New Year from BartenderHQ</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Its December 31st (at the time of writing and recording) so Happy New Year! Its also my 36th birthday, so double celebrations for me, as every year. Congratulations on making it through the holiday season, its time for you to kick back and enjoy yourse...
Congratulations on making it through the holiday season, its time for you to kick back and enjoy yourselves.
January can often be quiet for bars, not least because of Dry January these days, so its a great time to reflect on what worked and what didn’t over December. Its the perfect time to make changes to systems and practices to improve ready for when things pick up again, as well as improve your own knowledge.
Have card payments ruined tipping?
One thing I’ve read a lot of this week online is how contactless payments at the bar have made cards more convenient than cash and that has killed tips. I’ve been saying this would happen for a while, and I do think its an issue for bars that needs to be addressed. Not because the bar is responsible for making up the difference, but if the real world earnings of good bartenders fall, they’ll be less likely to stick around.
I have some thoughts on how we can fix this, but I’d rather get some numbers crunched before I share my thoughts. Until then, I’d love to hear from you your thoughts on how tips have changed. Should it be a service charge included in bills these days? Should tips be split equally through the whole team, front and back of house? Is there another factor beyond card payments that i’m missing? Let me know on Twitter @BartenderHQ or drop me an email – address in the podcast!
Anyway, Happy New Year, and we’ll speak again soon!

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean3974Happy Christmas from the BartenderHQ Podcast – Drinks Trends 2017-18http://bartenderhq.com/happy-christmas-drinks-trends/
Mon, 25 Dec 2017 04:00:33 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=3967<p>Happy Christmas! You’ve made it! On today’s show we’re back with me, David Eden-Sangwell and Samuel Boulton, the Vermouth Ambassador to talk drinks trends. The Vanguard Bar, Birmingham We start off with a quick update of Sam’s Vanguard Bar project which will be opening early in 2018 when he returns from Japan. Due to some […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/happy-christmas-drinks-trends/">Happy Christmas from the BartenderHQ Podcast – Drinks Trends 2017-18</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Happy Christmas! You’ve made it! On today’s show we’re back with me, David Eden-Sangwell and Samuel Boulton, the Vermouth Ambassador to talk drinks trends. The Vanguard Bar, Birmingham We start off with a quick update of Sam’s Vanguard Bar project whic...Vermouth Ambassador to talk drinks trends.
The Vanguard Bar, Birmingham
We start off with a quick update of Sam’s Vanguard Bar project which will be opening early in 2018 when he returns from Japan. Due to some delays with building works at the site the venue won’t be open for Christmas, but will open fully in January after successful pop up style testing nights in December 2017. The Vanguard will feature modern cocktails and Mead to a soundtrack of chilled hip-hop.

Drinks Trends 2017 Prediction Review
After a thorough search of the first couple of results on Google, we’re looking through 31Dover.com‘s Drinks Trends for 2017 post from the beginning of last year. Its always tricky to get right, so we’re seeing how they did in retrospect. The following is the text from their article which we’re discussing, so you can read along and find all the products that we’re chatting about.

1. THE GREAT BRITISH TAKE OFF ✅
There’s a couple of factors at play here to suggest it’s going to be a big year for British booze. Firstly, there’s been a steady increase in sales of English fizz, with the category emerging as one of the most exciting and promising developments in the wine world. Chapel Down are set to replace Bollinger as the official sponsor of the Oxford & Cambridge boat race, rumours are circulating that Nyetimber have some tricks up their sleeve and Gusbourne are going from strength to strength.
With Brexit too, and potential price increases on imports, there’s opportunity for British brands to make some noise with a twist on tradition. Already Tarquin’s Cornish Pastis, Dark Matter’s Scottish Spiced Rum and Somerset Cider Brandy are competing with traditionally imported product.
2. FLAVOUR BEHAVIOUR ❌
2016 saw a huge increase in sales of flavoured spirits. Warner Edwards Rhubarb Gin saw a sales increase of over 700% on 31Dover.com, and their new botanical release, Melissa Gin was launched to great acclaim. The flavour of the summer, Pink Grapefruit, was imagined as a new Gin by Chase Distillery and a Vodka by Ciroc.
For 2017, new flavoured variants will be in abundance – but not just white spirits and citrus combinations. From beetroot, pomegranate and aloe vera, to cola & apricot and elderflower & grape, the flavours universe is expanding in every direction across all categories.
Just-drinks commentator Richard Corbett describes flavours in soft drinks as “the key focal point of innovation, created in response to broadening consumer tastes and expectations”. As customers become more adventurous, with palates opened up to world cuisine, so too will drink offerings become more exotic, unfamiliar and exciting.
3. WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE ❌
Of all the flavours, we’re predicting that coffee will be the stand-out star for 2017.]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean3967Job changes and a lack of free time.http://bartenderhq.com/job-changes-lack-free-time/
Sun, 26 Nov 2017 23:00:00 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=3957<p>Hey Bartenders! Just a quick update on what’s been going on in the world of BartenderHQ and my job situation. Don’t worry, its good news, life has just been pretty crazy! I was on the brink of redundancy, and somehow found myself in a better paid job from the same company (with a few more […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/job-changes-lack-free-time/">Job changes and a lack of free time.</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Hey Bartenders! Just a quick update on what’s been going on in the world of BartenderHQ and my job situation. Don’t worry, its good news, life has just been pretty crazy! I was on the brink of redundancy, and somehow found myself in a better paid job f...
Just a quick update on what’s been going on in the world of BartenderHQ and my job situation. Don’t worry, its good news, life has just been pretty crazy!
I was on the brink of redundancy, and somehow found myself in a better paid job from the same company (with a few more miles on the car!) as the Spirits Development Manager in our company. Its a hell of an honour and a challenge, but I’ve been super busy all month getting things in place to help our sales guys have an easier time out and about.
Thank yous
Dave Tsouvalaris for letting me use his mobile bar from Flair Inc at the Moxy in Stratford
Chris Tunstall for last week’s show (ABarAbove)Gary Vaynerchuk for inspiration
Audiobooks?
Want to get your hands on a free audiobook? Head over to bartenderhq.com/audiobooks for a free audiobook from Audible when you try their service. Cancel anytime and keep any books you have. We get a little support too towards keeping the show running!

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean12:143957Chris Tunstall from Mixology Talk and A Bar Above [Podcast]http://bartenderhq.com/chris-tunstall-mixology-talk-bar-podcast/
Mon, 13 Nov 2017 11:25:40 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=3944<p>Chris Tunstall from Mixology Talk and A Bar Above joins us on this podcast. This is part two of our chat (Part one will be on their site) and we just wander aimlessly through the world of bars and cocktails. We talk about Top Shelf Bar supplies, their new store on Amazon offering professional equipment […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/chris-tunstall-mixology-talk-bar-podcast/">Chris Tunstall from Mixology Talk and A Bar Above [Podcast]</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Chris Tunstall from Mixology Talk and A Bar Above joins us on this podcast. This is part two of our chat (Part one will be on their site) and we just wander aimlessly through the world of bars and cocktails. We talk about Top Shelf Bar supplies,A Bar Above joins us on this podcast. This is part two of our chat (Part one will be on their site) and we just wander aimlessly through the world of bars and cocktails.

We talk about Top Shelf Bar supplies, their new store on Amazon offering professional equipment for home bartenders and pros alike.
We also talk about the Mixology Course that they’ve created, life as a full time bar media player and much more.
Grab yourself an Old Fashioned and put up your feet. Join us for a chat!

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean46:033944The Vanguard Drinks Menu Development – Part Onehttp://bartenderhq.com/vanguard-drinks-menu-development-part-one/
Sun, 29 Oct 2017 23:58:41 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=3924<p>Creating a menu for a bar is a lot of work, but luckily Samuel and I are both pretty experienced with it. Drinks menu Development involves a lot of testing, market analysis and research. The Vanguard is the most exciting bar to open in Birmingham in recent memory. Combining Modern cocktails and Mead, The Vanguard […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/vanguard-drinks-menu-development-part-one/">The Vanguard Drinks Menu Development – Part One</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Creating a menu for a bar is a lot of work, but luckily Samuel and I are both pretty experienced with it. Drinks menu Development involves a lot of testing, market analysis and research. The Vanguard is the most exciting bar to open in Birmingham in re...
The Vanguard is the most exciting bar to open in Birmingham in recent memory. Combining Modern cocktails and Mead, The Vanguard will be a brand new experience in the city.
Current Drinks Menu Development
Samuel is currently experimenting with Milk Punches – clear drinks where milk is used to clarify other ingredients. You’ll need citrus and a decent amount of time but we’ll be experimenting more here!
Gary Vee pairs wines and breakfast cereal
Ever wanted to pair Lucky Charms and Champagne? Let Mr Wine Library himself, Gary Vaynerchuk show you how.

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean3924The Vanguard, and Redundancy. (Updated!)http://bartenderhq.com/the-vanguard-and-redundancy/
Sun, 22 Oct 2017 20:26:34 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=3918<p>On this week’s main podcast, we have good news and bad news. Samuel is opening his own bar, and I’m probably being made redundant. Redundancy sucks. The Vanguard at 1000 Trades The Vanguard will mix modern cocktails and mead, while not serving normal beers or wines at the venue. Guests will be able to order […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/the-vanguard-and-redundancy/">The Vanguard, and Redundancy. (Updated!)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s main podcast, we have good news and bad news. Samuel is opening his own bar, and I’m probably being made redundant. Redundancy sucks. The Vanguard at 1000 Trades The Vanguard will mix modern cocktails and mead,
The Vanguard at 1000 Trades
The Vanguard will mix modern cocktails and mead, while not serving normal beers or wines at the venue. Guests will be able to order these at 1000 Trades below, but not in The Vanguard itself. Gosnell’s Meads will fill their place in the bar along with bespoke cocktails, the majority of which will be pre-batched for speed of service. The aim is to have drinks on the table within a minute of ordering,
The Vanguard is set in a second floor room with listed windows from the industrial revolution in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.

Redundancy
In the bad news category, my current job is coming to an end at the end of October. I’ll be working to spread the word about The Vanguard before it opens in the mean time but I’m also looking for opportunities. Let me know if you hear of anything!
*Update!*
On Tuesday 31st of October I accepted a new role that keeps me with Catalyst Brands – a big step up but I’m super excited – details to follow!
(That okay Shaun?)]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean3918The Vanguard Bar, coming soon | Short Sipshttp://bartenderhq.com/vanguard-bar-coming-soon-short-sips/
Fri, 20 Oct 2017 01:00:20 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=3909<p>We’re excited to announce that Samuel Boulton – The Vermouth Ambassador is in the process of opening his own bar in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. The Vanguard Bar at 1000 Trades will offer modern cocktails and Mead. – PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release 19th October 2017 Samuel Boulton is excited to announce the upcoming opening of […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/vanguard-bar-coming-soon-short-sips/">The Vanguard Bar, coming soon | Short Sips</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>We’re excited to announce that Samuel Boulton – The Vermouth Ambassador is in the process of opening his own bar in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. The Vanguard Bar at 1000 Trades will offer modern cocktails and Mead.

– PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release 19th October 2017
Samuel Boulton is excited to announce the upcoming opening of his new venture The Vanguard Cocktail Bar and Meadery. This is a collaborative venture between Samuel Boulton, a professional cocktail consultant from Birmingham and 1000 Trades located in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.
Samuel, who has previously launched a Kaffir Lime Leaf Liqueur in 2016 with Gabriel Boudier Liquers, has now set his eye on the Birmingham bar scene.
The Vanguard is set to become a local hotspot providing visitors and cocktails lovers alike with an interesting take on the modern cocktail experience with a mix of Hip Hop, cocktails and Mead.
Based out of the established 1000 Trades, an independent neighbourhood bar and kitchen. 1000 Trades brought new life to the Grade II listed building on Frederick Street in June 2016.
Owner Samuel Boulton says “I have wanted to set up my own venture for a while and the collaboration with 1000 Trades only seems right. Their existing business is established and growing each week, our offer will complement theirs tremendously and hopefully add another great venue to the JQ”.
The Vanguard’s menu will feature an array of artisan spirits and creative cocktails but will focus on giving the consumer a relaxed and enjoyable cocktail experience.
As well as offering a broad range of cocktails to suit all tastes, The Vanguard will specialise in a forgotten beverage, Mead. Mead is an alcoholic beverage created by fermenting honey with water, sometimes with various fruits, spices, grains or hops, and dates back over 9,000 years.
Birmingham’s first Meadery and one of only a few in the UK, The Vanguard at 1000 Trades is due to open to the public by December 2017.
Opening Hours: Tuesday 4pm – 11pm Wednesday 4pm – 11pm

Thursday Friday Saturday

4pm – Midnight

4pm – Midnight
4pm – Midnight

For more information please contact Samuel Boulton or David Eden-Sangwell on info@vanguardbar.co.uk or visit www.vanguardbar.co.uk
We’ll be catching up on the long form weekend podcast, so make sure you’re subscribed on iTunes so you don’t miss out!

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail or coupe glass. Garnish with a twist of orange.
This 50:50 Manhattan is a take on the sweet Manhattan recipe, a perfect Manhattan would use a mix of sweet and dry vermouths and a dry manhattan would use just dry vermouth. Most people use less vermouth in total, but this is generally a throw back to when vermouth was often oxidised, so people often used less of it. Today, bartenders generally understand how to keep their vermouth fresh or at least are able to use it while its at its best.
BartenderHQ is a community of bartenders working together for the greater good. We want to help bars and bartenders reach their fullest potential. Short Sips is a daily podcast from BartenderHQ where we share quick and actionable tips, philosophy nuggets to get you thinking and ways to make your bar and shift even better.

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean3904Learning Drinks by Similarity – Short Sips from BartenderHQhttp://bartenderhq.com/learning-drinks-similarity-short-sips-bartenderhq/
Wed, 18 Oct 2017 01:00:21 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=3901<p>There are hundreds of thousands of cocktails that have been created over the years. Most are variations on something that came before and you can make the most of that by learning similarities between drinks instead of whole recipes, and you’ll save a huge amount of time. Most cocktails have close relations to others. That’s […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/learning-drinks-similarity-short-sips-bartenderhq/">Learning Drinks by Similarity – Short Sips from BartenderHQ</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>There are hundreds of thousands of cocktails that have been created over the years. Most are variations on something that came before and you can make the most of that by learning similarities between drinks instead of whole recipes,
Most cocktails have close relations to others. That’s just a fact. Is a Daiquiri not basically a rum sour? Is a Margarita a million miles away in terms of inspiriation? How much different is a Gin Rickey? They’re all a spirit mixed with citrus and somehow sweetened. You can take advantage of this by learning one recipe and then how you change it to another, instead of a whole new recipe. Of course, this is a bit of a simplification, but you’ll be surprised how many cocktails you can break down in this way. There are probably 100 variations on the Long Island Ice Tea for example. You’d never learn each from scratch, but remember them as variations, as differences from drink to drink.
Learning Drinks Groups
This applies to so many drinks, you’ll be smashing through learning drinks faster than you ever imagined.
If you want more information on the subject, check out my full eBook on the subject here.

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean3901Buy your guests candy! Tips for Tips from Short Sips!http://bartenderhq.com/buy-guests-candy-tips-tips-short-sips/
Tue, 17 Oct 2017 01:00:31 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=3898<p>Why giving your guests a quick treat will make you money when they cash out! Buy a bag of candy to keep behind the bar, and treat your guests. Make sure its clearly from you and not bought in by the bar, and your guests will feel like they owe you a favour. That, will […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/buy-guests-candy-tips-tips-short-sips/">Buy your guests candy! Tips for Tips from Short Sips!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Why giving your guests a quick treat will make you money when they cash out! Buy a bag of candy to keep behind the bar, and treat your guests. Make sure its clearly from you and not bought in by the bar, and your guests will feel like they owe you a fa...
The law of reciprocity is a proven effect that makes people feel indebted to those who have helped them out, so why not make use of it behind the bar? Tips are recognition for great service, and what is better than sharing your personal possessions with a guest. Do you have a tip to share with the BartenderHQ community? Drop us an email on David@BartenderHQ.com and we’d love to pass it on and give you a shout out thank you on the show.
BartenderHQ is a community of bartenders working together for the greater good. We want to help bars and bartenders reach their fullest potential. Short Sips is a daily podcast from BartenderHQ where we share quick and actionable tips, philosophy nuggets to get you thinking and ways to make your bar and shift even better.

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean3898Short Sips from BartenderHQ – The Launchhttp://bartenderhq.com/short-sips-bartenderhq-launch/
Mon, 16 Oct 2017 01:00:18 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=3895<p>Welcome to Short Sips! I’m aiming to podcast now daily, so we can bring you even more information and start more conversations! Here’s the plan: Monday Motivation – We’ll provide a morsel of boost for you to get through Monday after your busy weekend. Tuesday Tips for Tips – Some quick tips on making a […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/short-sips-bartenderhq-launch/">Short Sips from BartenderHQ – The Launch</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Welcome to Short Sips! I’m aiming to podcast now daily, so we can bring you even more information and start more conversations! Here’s the plan: Monday Motivation – We’ll provide a morsel of boost for you to get through Monday after your busy weekend.
I’m aiming to podcast now daily, so we can bring you even more information and start more conversations!
Here’s the plan:

* Monday Motivation – We’ll provide a morsel of boost for you to get through Monday after your busy weekend.
* Tuesday Tips for Tips – Some quick tips on making a bit of extra cash behind the bar!
* Wednesday Wisdom – Something a little more philosophical but certainly linked to the bar. Get yourself thinking outside the box!
* Thirsty Thursday – We couldn’t miss this! We’ll bring our favourite drink of the week, something to try out behind the bar this weekend
* Friday Weekend Edition – Practical stuff you can use behind the bar and make your weekend even better
* Saturday – Maybe we’ll have a day off, or find something that doesn’t fit anywhere else. Guest talks and ideas welcome!
* Sunday’s regular long form podcast – we may deep dive into something else from the week, include interviews or something else!

We’d love to hear your thoughts and now, more than ever your reviews on iTunes, Stitcher or wherever you listen to podcasts. Help us to reach and help more bartenders and bars. That’s why we do all this.
See you on episode ONE!

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean3895Building Your Back Bar | How to choose your spiritshttp://bartenderhq.com/building-back-bar/
Mon, 25 Sep 2017 06:02:05 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=3868<p>On this podcast Sam and David talk about how to pick the right spirits when building your back bar. Sam has worked as a consultant and bar manager for multiple bars building menus and stocking lists over the years. David was previously the drinks development manager for a group of 10 bars. Both have also […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/building-back-bar/">Building Your Back Bar | How to choose your spirits</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this podcast Sam and David talk about how to pick the right spirits when building your back bar. Sam has worked as a consultant and bar manager for multiple bars building menus and stocking lists over the years.
Sam has worked as a consultant and bar manager for multiple bars building menus and stocking lists over the years. David was previously the drinks development manager for a group of 10 bars. Both have also worked directly for brands building their business, so have seen both sides of the industry.
We talk through both the financial side of building your back bar as well as the intent behind the process. We talk about making sure your products all have a USP in the bar and educating bartenders on how to sell them properly.]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean3868How to Taste Spirits – with Bottega Vermouthhttp://bartenderhq.com/taste-spirits-bottega-vermouth/
Mon, 28 Aug 2017 08:20:52 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=3754<p>What is the right way to taste spirits? In this episode of the BartenderHQ Podcast, Sam and I are discussing spirits tasting (although with a vermouth!) having just both completed WSET courses. How to taste spirits can be quite personal, but WSET has a standardised framework that we are loosely basing this video on. How […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/taste-spirits-bottega-vermouth/">How to Taste Spirits – with Bottega Vermouth</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>What is the right way to taste spirits? In this episode of the BartenderHQ Podcast, Sam and I are discussing spirits tasting (although with a vermouth!) having just both completed WSET courses. How to taste spirits can be quite personal,
How We Taste Spirits
We used Bottega Vermouth for a couple of reasons. First, I work with Bottega Gold Prosecco in my day to day job (full disclosure!), so I had access to it. Its not a widely available product here in the UK and as a result, neither Sam nor I had tasted it before. That way it gave us a great opportunity to taste something without preconceptions.
Of course, we do know that Vermouth is not technically a spirit, but the same principles apply to both. Join us as we go through the process of looking at colour & clarity, nose, flavours and length.
If you’d like to get deep into the Vermouth side of things, check out Sam’s Vermouth Flavour Wheel and the Vermouth Index here on BartenderHQ.

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean3754Gosnells Mead Tasting | Amazing Honey beer! BartenderHQhttp://bartenderhq.com/gosnells-mead-tasting-amazing-honey-beer-bartenderhq/
Mon, 21 Aug 2017 21:36:49 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=3739<p>Samuel Boulton & David Eden-Sangwell taste Gosnells Mead on this week’s show. We try Gosnells London Mead, a hopped expression and another with Citra hops and seawater, as well as elderflower flavoured and hibiscus flower versions. We also got to try their barrel fermented and aged mead at a whopping 14.4% ABV. The Elderflower option […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/gosnells-mead-tasting-amazing-honey-beer-bartenderhq/">Gosnells Mead Tasting | Amazing Honey beer! BartenderHQ</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Samuel Boulton & David Eden-Sangwell taste Gosnells Mead on this week’s show. We try Gosnells London Mead, a hopped expression and another with Citra hops and seawater, as well as elderflower flavoured and hibiscus flower versions.
We try Gosnells London Mead, a hopped expression and another with Citra hops and seawater, as well as elderflower flavoured and hibiscus flower versions. We also got to try their barrel fermented and aged mead at a whopping 14.4% ABV.
The Elderflower option really opened our eyes to the idea that Mead could easily be an alternative to the flavoured fruit ciders that have replaced the ready to drink alcopop style drinks in the past few years, its super easy to drink!
So what is Gosnells Mead?
According to the Gosnells Mead website;
“Mead, fermented from honey, is humankind’s oldest form of alcohol. It’s history stretches from the modern day back over 8000 years, from East Africa to Europe and the Far East.
In Britain and Northern Europe mead features heavily in works of Old English and was popular amongst Norse Gods and heroes. However across the continent mead began to fade in popularity from the 16th century on-wards due to a number of factors.”
So are you ready to take the plunge and try some mead or are you a fermented honey veteran? Let us know in the comments!

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean3739Why do we taste spirits neat?http://bartenderhq.com/taste-spirits-neat/
Sun, 23 Jul 2017 22:05:16 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=3676<p>On the BartenderHQ Podcast this week, we’re talking about why we taste spirits neat. Is it still the right thing to do? When 95% of gin is mixed with tonic, why do bartenders taste it neat and at room temperature? Should we be adding water to our whisky to open up the nose and flavours […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/taste-spirits-neat/">Why do we taste spirits neat?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On the BartenderHQ Podcast this week, we’re talking about why we taste spirits neat. Is it still the right thing to do? When 95% of gin is mixed with tonic, why do bartenders taste it neat and at room temperature?
When 95% of gin is mixed with tonic, why do bartenders taste it neat and at room temperature? Should we be adding water to our whisky to open up the nose and flavours before we try?
Then we get into whether bars should pick a single tonic or offer a huge range for their guests. We also talk about the difference between spirits for cocktails and other applications.
So should we taste spirits neat?
We can’t really decide, and a lot of the decision is based on context. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject too, so tweet us @BartenderHQ
Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or your favourite platform and please leave us a review to help get the word out!
Thanks so much,
The (ever growing) BartenderHQ team.

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean3676Vya Vermouth’s Dana Fares on the Podcasthttp://bartenderhq.com/vya-vermouth-dana-fares-podcast/
Sun, 16 Jul 2017 14:20:26 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=3647<p>On this week’s show, Dana Fares, Mixologist at Vya Vermouth joins us. We talk about how Vya was created at the Quady winery in California, and why its different from the majority of vermouth on the market. Vya was developed in 1999, the first American vermouth. What is Vya Vermouth? Designed to be drunk alone […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/vya-vermouth-dana-fares-podcast/">Vya Vermouth’s Dana Fares on the Podcast</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s show, Dana Fares, Mixologist at Vya Vermouth joins us. We talk about how Vya was created at the Quady winery in California, and why its different from the majority of vermouth on the market. Vya was developed in 1999,Vya Vermouth joins us.
We talk about how Vya was created at the Quady winery in California, and why its different from the majority of vermouth on the market. Vya was developed in 1999, the first American vermouth.
What is Vya Vermouth?
Designed to be drunk alone as well as in cocktails, Vya Vermouth uses a really high quality wine base. Many other vermouths use lower standard wines as the herbal and botanical flavours are able to mask the wine flavour.
Vya Vermouth will also be holding a tasting room at Tales of the Cocktail where guests will be invited to create their own drinks with Vya. The Vya range contains Sweet, Dry and Whisper Dry. During the show we taste the first two, but we’ve not got our hands on Whisper Dry just yet. Not that we’re bitter about that, not at all.

Recommended Vya Vermouth Drinks
Dana’s favourite drink with Vya is the Freesia Garden, described on their website as “Refreshing and bright, this cocktail recipe is a perfect way to celebrate spring. The cucumber-mint juice is crisp and cooling while the Freesia infused Vya Whisper Dry adds a subtle layer of floral flavors with a delicate hint of pepper.” You can find the recipe on the Quady Wines website here!
Samuel’s Figgy Smalls cocktail is:

SaveSave]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean3647Being Authentic in Barshttp://bartenderhq.com/being-authentic/
Tue, 27 Jun 2017 05:59:48 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=3463<p>This week’s BartenderHQ Podcast was recorded live (in a car) and we’re talking about being authentic. While the conversation started with talking about local produce and locally produced spirits, it quickly broadened to much wider topics. The crux of what we’re talking about is more about how these products are marketed. If, for example a […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/being-authentic/">Being Authentic in Bars</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>This week’s BartenderHQ Podcast was recorded live (in a car) and we’re talking about being authentic. While the conversation started with talking about local produce and locally produced spirits, it quickly broadened to much wider topics.
The crux of what we’re talking about is more about how these products are marketed. If, for example a spirit is produced locally using local ingredients and labour, by all means play to that USP. However, It doesn’t make sense when producers outsource everything and simply use local terms and sell in their local area without benefiting it.

Being Authentic
Being authentic goes even further however. It can mean staying true to the vision of the bar’s concept or not using artificial flavours where your bar is about nature for example.
We also touch on why we love independent bars and smaller operators, but why they can’t rely simply on being independent to be successful. Independents have to be good too if they want to draw customers away from the bigger brands.
As always, we’d love to hear your opinions and the conversations are often the best part of these podcasts. Get in touch with BartenderHQ and The Vermouth Ambassador on Facebook to have your say.]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean33:203463Rum in Brum and Happy Father’s Day!http://bartenderhq.com/rum-brum-happy-fathers-day/
Sun, 18 Jun 2017 18:18:19 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=3349<p>This weekend I’ve been at Rum in Brum, the biggest Rum festival in the city of Birmingham each year. I’ve been on the Pampero stand all weekend so please forgive the scratchy throat on today’s show. Pampero Rums are made in Venezuela as there quality of the sugar cane there is better than most other […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/rum-brum-happy-fathers-day/">Rum in Brum and Happy Father’s Day!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>This weekend I’ve been at Rum in Brum, the biggest Rum festival in the city of Birmingham each year. I’ve been on the Pampero stand all weekend so please forgive the scratchy throat on today’s show. Pampero Rums are made in Venezuela as there quality o...
This weekend I’ve been at Rum in Brum, the biggest Rum festival in the city of Birmingham each year. I’ve been on the Pampero stand all weekend so please forgive the scratchy throat on today’s show.
Pampero Rums are made in Venezuela as there quality of the sugar cane there is better than most other locations around the world, and the climate means that barrel ageing occurs 3-4 times faster than in comparable barrels in Scotland or France.
We had Pampero Blanco, Pampero Especial, Pampero Selección 1938 and Pampero Aniversario for guests to taste on the stand. In addition to Pampero, we also offered Real McCoy 5 and 12 year old and Dark Matter Scottish Spiced Rums.
Follow The Prince of Wales on Facebook and Twitter so you don’t miss next year!

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean8:523349Sustainability for Bars (Part 2) – We’re going DEEP!http://bartenderhq.com/sustainability/
Sun, 11 Jun 2017 18:14:51 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=3201<p>The reaction to our first podcast on sustainability for bars was so huge that we’re re-visiting the topic this week and diving deep into what we can do to reduce our impact as an industry. For starters, Brian Weber from the Bartender Journey podcast reached out right away, and we guested on his show to […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/sustainability/">Sustainability for Bars (Part 2) – We’re going DEEP!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>The reaction to our first podcast on sustainability for bars was so huge that we’re re-visiting the topic this week and diving deep into what we can do to reduce our impact as an industry. For starters, Brian Weber from the Bartender Journey podcast re...to talk sustainability (hence having him as a guest here last week too!). Brian has already stopped tasting his drinks with straw dipping.
Making a small change like that can be the catalyst to something much larger – even if it just serves you as a reminder to consider what can be done to bartend more sustainably.

Why Sustainability for Bars is Vital
For me personally, the past few weeks of looking into sustainability for bars has been an enormous eye opener. Even with this podcast, we’re only just scratching the surface. We’re looking mainly at techniques that would fit craft cocktail bars at the moment, though many could be used anywhere.
We’ll look at nightclubs and higher volume venues at a later date in more detail, however there’s plenty here that works.
Topics on Sustainability for Bars
Straws
Straws are one of the main reasons we started thinking about sustainability in bars. Maybe it seems like a small thing, but it’s one of the easiest wins that you can do to reduce your impact on the planet.There are a number of options with respect to straws and bar sustainability. Biodegradable straws, reusable items, or even pasta as we discussed on our previous podcasts. Simply not adding the straws to a drink without them being requested will make and enormous difference to your consumption.
Also, dip tasting drinks using straws can be a huge consumption. Pouring a drop into a clean glass to taste can reduce wastage drastically, though you must also take into account the water and chemicals used for cleaning when you check your carbon footprint.

Glass – Recycle, Reuse, Upcycle
Glass bottles are a huge volume of the waste generated by most bars, therefore its a perfect focus for change. These can be recycled, however that still uses a good deal of energy, even if it saves the bottles from landfill or the sea.
If you can reduce your consumption of glass bottles that is even better. Those bottles you must buy in could be re-used as either service vessels or for home made ingredients rather than being trashed.
Options like switching to aluminium cans which are highly recyclable rather than bottles can also help. As they’re lighter too, this also reduces transport costs.

Composting
Bars create food waste. That’s just a fact. Yes, there are ways of reducing this but if you’re a craft bar and you’re looking to use fresh fruit juices, then its certainly worth the effort to make use of your food waste. If you’re working in a restaurant, that means there will be even more to deal with.
By simply adding a composting bin you will be able to convert your food waste from the bar or restaurant into useful nutrients. These can be used to grow fresh herbs, fruits or vegetables on site that you can use in your food or beverage program.
What a great way to build a story for your guests about how your bar wastes nothing! You’ll never have fresher herbs than those you pick on site right before your shift, which will make your drinks taste even better. What a great way to talk to your guests about the story of their drinks!

Fruit packaging
Of course, composting the waste from the bar is great, but if the packaging still has to go to landfill, that’s still an issue. If you’re selling frozen lasagnes and pies, there’s probably little you can do.]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean55:263201Brian Weber from Bartender Journey is Back!http://bartenderhq.com/brian-weber-bartender-journey-back/
Sun, 04 Jun 2017 22:20:45 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=3071<p>We absolutely love having Brian Weber from Bartender Journey on the show as often as possible and this week is no exception! Straight off the back of recording an episode for his show covering his experiments with different juice extraction techniques on limes, as well as giving his audience an overview of our conversations last […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/brian-weber-bartender-journey-back/">Brian Weber from Bartender Journey is Back!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>We absolutely love having Brian Weber from Bartender Journey on the show as often as possible and this week is no exception! Straight off the back of recording an episode for his show covering his experiments with different juice extraction techniques ...
Straight off the back of recording an episode for his show covering his experiments with different juice extraction techniques on limes, as well as giving his audience an overview of our conversations last week with Samuel on sustainable bartending.
On this show with Brian Weber
On this week’s show we’re talking about anything the comes to mind! Amongst other things, Brian and I discuss the London Sessions, Podcasting at Tales of the Cocktail, Camp Runamok, how good Sam is, the Patron Hacienda and how rep life in the UK works.
Find Brian Weber’s Bartender Journey OnlineBartenderJourney on iTunesBartenderJourney on FacebookBartenderJourney on Instagram

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean44:483071Sustainable Bartending, What You Can Do.http://bartenderhq.com/sustainable-bartending/
Sun, 28 May 2017 21:33:09 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=3000<p>Keeping a low footprint in what we do in our personal as well as our work lives on the planet is becoming more and more important, so how can we practice sustainable bartending and reduce our wastage and consumption? In this episode of the BartenderHQ podcast, Samuel Boulton and David Eden-Sangwell discuss easy wins that […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/sustainable-bartending/">Sustainable Bartending, What You Can Do.</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Keeping a low footprint in what we do in our personal as well as our work lives on the planet is becoming more and more important, so how can we practice sustainable bartending and reduce our wastage and consumption?
In this episode of the BartenderHQ podcast, Samuel Boulton and David Eden-Sangwell discuss easy wins that you can implement in your bar to cut your impact. Specifically recently there has been video of the impact of using plastic straws on the environment and wildlife circulating on Facebook. The biggest problem being the time that it takes for these to break down in the environment once they’re disposed of.
Sustainable Bartending: Straws, Glass & Waste
We look at a handful of the other options, from paper to biodegradable plastics, and even more extreme options like using pasta as a straw replacement.
We’ll continue talking about some of the other options in future weeks including reduction of glass usage, using otherwise waste products like citrus peels from juicing and much more. So if you have any tips to share with the community, we’d love to hear them!]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean26:453000Sneak Peek – Vermouth Index & Bartender Spotlighthttp://bartenderhq.com/sneak-peek-vermouth-index-bartender-spotlight/
Mon, 22 May 2017 06:35:33 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2966<p>David & Sam discuss what we’re up to this week at BartenderHQ and in the real world, as well as including some omissions from our podcast review episode last time. Many thanks to LeamWineRob (@Robpatchett09) on twitter for sharing Bartender at Large and Speakeasy Radio, so we now have EVEN MORE BARTENDING GOODNESS to consume directly […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/sneak-peek-vermouth-index-bartender-spotlight/">Sneak Peek – Vermouth Index & Bartender Spotlight</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>David & Sam discuss what we’re up to this week at BartenderHQ and in the real world, as well as including some omissions from our podcast review episode last time. Many thanks to LeamWineRob (@Robpatchett09) on twitter for sharing Bartender at Large an...@Robpatchett09) on twitter for sharing Bartender at Large and Speakeasy Radio, so we now have EVEN MORE BARTENDING GOODNESS to consume directly into our earholes each week!
The ever growing list of bar industry (and enthusiast) podcasts is a great indication of the passion around booze and its culture, so its great to know there’s even more out there than we knew!
We also touch on Sam’s projects on BartenderHQ now he’s joining the team beyond the podcast.
Vermouth Index
The Vermouth Index that Sam is creating is intended to be the most complete resource on the internet for all things vermouth. He’s putting together tasting notes, categorisation and more as we speak and we’ll make sure you’re the first to know when we’re ready to launch.
Vermouth is one of the most exciting categories in the industry, fitting perfectly into the lower alcohol serves that are gaining popularity as well as having incredible complexity of flavour.
Bartender Spotlight
Our Bartender Spotlight feature will showcase the best in bartending that we find, especially those making the most of the vermouth and fortified wine trend. Drop us a tweet at BartenderHQ if you’d like to feature a drink!]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean14:532966The Bartender Podcast playlisthttp://bartenderhq.com/bartender-podcast-playlist/
Mon, 08 May 2017 21:16:53 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2938<p>The BartenderHQ podcast, talking about bartender podcasts! Okay, its a little meta this week but there’s a growing community out there of people talking about the drinks industry and what you can do with cocktails, so we’re running down the best (or at least the best we’ve found!). Mixology Talk Podcast The A Bar Above […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/bartender-podcast-playlist/">The Bartender Podcast playlist</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>The BartenderHQ podcast, talking about bartender podcasts! Okay, its a little meta this week but there’s a growing community out there of people talking about the drinks industry and what you can do with cocktails,
Mixology Talk Podcast

Possibly the original bartending podcast, and as far as I know at least the oldest still running podcast on bartending! Deeply involved with Tales of the cocktail and much more, Brian Weber is an upstate New York bartender that you really should be listening to, and giving an iTunes review to. He’s not telling you how many stars to give him, but 5 is the most you can give, just so you know. Again, featured on BartenderHQ a couple of times (one and two).
Common Man Cocktails (YouTube)

One of Sam’s main picks, the Common Man Cocktails channel on youtube is a home bartender podcast. He’s been going for years and has created a great brand around his videos, showing how to make cocktails online. Sam is super impressed by his skills!
Speaking Easy Podcast

Another home bartender outlet, these guys have a great dynamic and no preconceptions of drinks being enthusiasts over professionals. Well researched shows and avoids all the politics that occur within the industry from time to time. Check them out on iTunes or other places too.
Booze Broad Podcast

One of the newest arrivals to the bartender podcast universe – Booze Broad is a long form podcast that focuses on the bartender lifestyle, especially out in Las Vegas where Sarah is based. Booze broad is rapidly becoming the voice of Vegas in the bartending world! (hear our interview) Perfect to listen to while you set up the bar!
Steve Schneider Show Podcast

Steve Schneider is best known for Employees Only in New York (and Singapore) and has become one of the world’s most prominent bartenders after the release of the Hey Bartender Movie/Documentary. A lot of lifestyle and stream of consciousness stuff which ranges from judging competitions to playing Xbox One with his friends.

Cocktail Chemistry (Youtube)
Another YouTube entry, Cocktail Chemistry came to prominence from their Ice Ball Negroni video (below). Check out their channel and subscribe!

Tipsy Bartender…
He had to make it in – no-one has probably got more people making cocktails than this guy so how can we leave him out!? Check out their channel here.

NON-BARTENDING PODCASTS (and Tubes…)

* Rhett & Link’s Ear Biscuits
* clean2938My New Job – a Podcast Update!http://bartenderhq.com/new-job-podcast-update/
Fri, 21 Apr 2017 21:58:34 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2886<p>Hello all! The changes are in motion and I’m starting my new job Monday – so keep your eyes peeled for our first update from that. I’ll be looking to do more video blogs during the week coming soon on our YouTube channel so keep an eye out. I’ll be looking after a portfolio of drinks […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/new-job-podcast-update/">My New Job – a Podcast Update!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Hello all! The changes are in motion and I’m starting my new job Monday – so keep your eyes peeled for our first update from that. I’ll be looking to do more video blogs during the week coming soon on our YouTube channel so keep an eye out.YouTube channel so keep an eye out. I’ll be looking after a portfolio of drinks across the midlands in the UK so come travelling with me and we’ll have an epic time!
Memorise Cocktails the Easy Way!So we mention in the podcast how you can help out with keeping the podcast going (as it costs us money to make and host). The great bonus of this is you’ll also get some incredible techniques for memorising huge numbers of cocktails that you can recall at the drop of a hat!
Our ebook is for sale here, and details the methods I used to memorise over 600 cocktails for the TGI Friday’s Bartender Challenge. I was a national finalist 4 times, and every time could be asked any 40 of the 600+ drinks during the technical testing, as well as any three in front of a crowd of hundreds of my peers and 4 judges, needing to make them perfectly to spec every single time. Whether you’re new to bartending or moving to a new job and needing to learn new cocktail recipes, this is for you.Click here to make your life behind the bar easier and to start making more tips!]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean2886Booze Broad on the BartenderHQ Podcasthttp://bartenderhq.com/booze-broad-bartenderhq-podcast/
Mon, 27 Mar 2017 08:07:02 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2859<p>Welcome back! This week’s guest on the podcast is Sarah Gage, host of the Booze Broad podcast in the first half of a two parter show. Sarah is based out in Las Vegas Nevada and has been bartending for years. She’s a committee member for the USBG focusing on Health and Wellness as well as […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/booze-broad-bartenderhq-podcast/">Booze Broad on the BartenderHQ Podcast</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Welcome back! This week’s guest on the podcast is Sarah Gage, host of the Booze Broad podcast in the first half of a two parter show. Sarah is based out in Las Vegas Nevada and has been bartending for years.
Sarah is based out in Las Vegas Nevada and has been bartending for years. She’s a committee member for the USBG focusing on Health and Wellness as well as being the newest addition to the bartender podcast community. The Booze Broad Podcast is really conversational and a fly on the wall style while bartenders talk all about their experiences and life behind the bar.
We talk about some of the big differences between the UK and US scenes as well as getting to know Sarah with some of our usual interview style questions.
As promised, the Hotel Nacional Cocktail mentioned by Sarah in the podcast (as featured on Liquor.com
Booze Broad’s Favourite – Hotel Nacional Cocktail

The BartenderHQ Booze Broad podcast part two will be released on Sarah’s channel in April, so subscribe today on Stitcher or iTunes

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean39:412859Space Season Begins | BartenderHQ Podcasthttp://bartenderhq.com/space-season-begins-bartender-hq-podcast/
Mon, 27 Feb 2017 08:12:36 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2773<p>It’s Space Season at BartenderHQ! On the show we’re talking about what Space Season is all about, why I love geeky space stuff so much and eventually, we even talk a little about cocktails – specifically the Gagarin Cocktail made with Polugar Single Malt Rye. Its a solo show this week, Sam and his Vermouth Ambassador […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/space-season-begins-bartender-hq-podcast/">Space Season Begins | BartenderHQ Podcast</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>It’s Space Season at BartenderHQ! On the show we’re talking about what Space Season is all about, why I love geeky space stuff so much and eventually, we even talk a little about cocktails – specifically the Gagarin Cocktail made with Polugar Single Ma...Gagarin Cocktail made with Polugar Single Malt Rye.
Its a solo show this week, Sam and his Vermouth Ambassador stuff will be back on the next show, so send us over any questions or suggestions for what you’d like us to talk about.
Why I’m a Geeky Space Nerd
As a 10(ish) year old kit I visited Kennedy Space Centre in Florida and loved every second – I corrected the tour guide on the pronunciation of the Saturn V, should be Saturn 5 (although looking at the above image, its actually the Saturn 1B in the garden – I’m assuming they were talking about something else at the time!). I’ve loved space ever since and so this gives me a chance to geek out and indulge myself while also creating some drinks!
Space Season Show LinksVintage Space on Youtube – Amy Shira Teitel – Awesome content on space history and how early spaceflight affects the world we live in today.

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean21:432773The Vermouth Ambassador’s Travels | BartenderHQ Podcasthttp://bartenderhq.com/vermouth-ambassadors-travels-bartenderhq-podcast/
Wed, 22 Feb 2017 11:12:00 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2745<p>On this week’s podcast, Samuel, The Vermouth Ambassador has been travelling to Barcelona, Spain, in mainland Europe to seek out some of the best vermouth bars in the world. We talk about his visits to Bodega 1900, watching local bartenders throw every drink and tasting the local blends and house vermouths. We talk about social […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/vermouth-ambassadors-travels-bartenderhq-podcast/">The Vermouth Ambassador’s Travels | BartenderHQ Podcast</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s podcast, Samuel, The Vermouth Ambassador has been travelling to Barcelona, Spain, in mainland Europe to seek out some of the best vermouth bars in the world. We talk about his visits to Bodega 1900,
We talk about his visits to Bodega 1900, watching local bartenders throw every drink and tasting the local blends and house vermouths.
We talk about social media video for bars too and our week, so join David Eden Sangwell and Samuel David Boulton for a chat about the world of bars and bartending.
Find Sam over at The Vermouth Ambassador and David at BartenderHQ]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean27:412745BartenderHQ Welcomes The Vermouth Ambassador | Podcasthttp://bartenderhq.com/vermouth-ambassador-podcast/
Mon, 13 Feb 2017 12:10:28 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2732<p>The Vermouth Ambassador, Samuel Boulton is joining us on today’s podcast to talk all things Vermouth, as well as some of his background in bartending and what he’s up to today. Sam will be joining the BartenderHQ team to provide more articles and content on the site covering his journeys around Europe to discover the […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/vermouth-ambassador-podcast/">BartenderHQ Welcomes The Vermouth Ambassador | Podcast</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Vermouth specialist and bartender Samuel Boulton joins the BartenderHQ family
Sam will be joining the BartenderHQ team to provide more articles and content on the site covering his journeys around Europe to discover the best Vermouths and spirits from around the continent.
We talk with the Vermouth Ambassador about keeping your Vermouth in top condition, vacuum packing smaller quantities to make sure it stays fresh and all about his favourite drinks and history in the industry. Sam has been a champion bartender, created his own liqueur which is on sale now and much much more.
Find Samuel on the Vermouth Ambassador Facebook page to follow his adventures.]]>David Eden Sangwell and Samuel Boultonclean45:282732Top 5 tips for Great Cocktail Photos without a DSLRhttp://bartenderhq.com/great-cocktail-photos/
Tue, 06 Dec 2016 21:31:47 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2686<p>Taking Cocktail Photos without a Pro Camera Social media is a great way to get attention for your bar or personal brand and having great images is a must, so here are my top 5 tips on getting great cocktail photos. The images below are all taken by myself using an iPhone 7plus – nothing […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/great-cocktail-photos/">Top 5 tips for Great Cocktail Photos without a DSLR</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>How to take the best pictures of your drinks without the need for expensive specialist equipment
Social media is a great way to get attention for your bar or personal brand and having great images is a must, so here are my top 5 tips on getting great cocktail photos. The images below are all taken by myself using an iPhone 7plus – nothing more advanced than the camera that’s in your pocket all day long.
1: Light Light Light
The main difference between a pro camera and a smartphone other than the attachment lens options is the physical size of the sensor that light needs to hit in order to create the image, so to give your cocktail pictures the best chance, get as much quality light on them as possible. Daylight is great and different times of day can give different effects, but if you need to shoot indoors grab some lights (white if possible), you can always bring the brightness down after you shoot.2: Pick your location
Make sure what’s in the background of your image is what you want to end up in your image. If you’re at work, avoid rubbish bins (trash cans), cash registers etc. Multiple textures will always add interest and context to the image, or if you want just the focus on the drink, try using cloths in different colours to remove distractions.
3: Props
Take a look at what’s in your drink and what emotions you’re looking to provoke and find props to match – for example, with the autumn (fall) drinks I bought the relevant fruits, gathered fallen leaves and spices to arrange around the drinks, giving them context.
4: Spend time on Garnishes
Don’t skimp on the garnish, make sure if you’re using citrus slices or wedges that you take a couple of moments to remove seeds and cut fresh. Spend those few extra minutes to make sure the drink looks amazing.
5: Include brands for more shares
Including bottles in your images will give the brands a reason to re-share your cocktail photos, article or website, so why not encourage them to help you reach a bigger following‽]]>David Eden Sangwell, BartenderHQ Flair Bartender & Mixologistclean2686Top 8 Tips for Surviving Tales of the Cocktail with Brian Weberhttp://bartenderhq.com/top-8-tips-surviving-tales-cocktail-brian-weber/
Tue, 29 Nov 2016 11:06:12 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2678<p>This week on the podcast Brian Weber from Bartender Journey podcast! Brian Weber’s top tips for surviving Tales of the Cocktail: 1: FOMO – Avoid Fear of Missing Out There is too much at Tales of the Cocktail for anyone to see it all, so plan ahead and make sure you hit the events you […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/top-8-tips-surviving-tales-cocktail-brian-weber/">Top 8 Tips for Surviving Tales of the Cocktail with Brian Weber</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>This week on the podcast Brian Weber from Bartender Journey podcast! Brian Weber’s top tips for surviving Tales of the Cocktail: 1: FOMO – Avoid Fear of Missing Out There is too much at Tales of the Cocktail for anyone to see it all,Bartender Journey podcast!
Brian Weber’s top tips for surviving Tales of the Cocktail:
1: FOMO – Avoid Fear of Missing Out
There is too much at Tales of the Cocktail for anyone to see it all, so plan ahead and make sure you hit the events you need, and make use of phone alarms to avoid losing track of time!
2: Talk to people, make friends and stay in touch
Bartenders make friends for a living – Make sure you have plenty of business cards! – Our tip – take a picture on your phone of the person with their card so you keep the face in mind too!
3: Notes and backing up
Even if you’re not at Tales to create content, make use of things like DropBox to keep anything you record safe, whether its your photos, notes, videos, whatever! You’ll be tasting a lot and you won’t remember everything without notes
4: Tip Early and Often
Make sure the staff you’ll see often know you’ll take care of them so they take care of you during your stay. – Pro tip – Ship things you need direct to the hotel rather than carrying them yourself.
5: Getting around
Use Uber – No need for cash, fair fares and a way to see where you’ve been the next day if things get messy! Save your destinations in your phone so you know where you’re heading.
6: Set Phone alarms for waking up as well as 15 mins before events so you don’t miss a thing!
7: Don’t forget to eat
You’ll quickly flag if you’re not properly nourished – so schedule eating into your day!
8: Get enough sleep
Nothing worse than falling asleep in the best event of the weekend so make sure you rest so you can play hard too.
Bonus tip – How to deal with flirty drunk girls with giant boyfriends
We talk briefly about cask conditioned beers and touch on flair – want to hear us talk more about that? Let us know on Twitter at @BarKeepTips and @BartenderHQ]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean2678The Podcast is Back! – BartenderHQhttp://bartenderhq.com/podcast-back-bartenderhq/
Sun, 20 Nov 2016 18:23:00 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2669<p>We’re back (again)! In this audio podcast we’ll just cover what I’ve been doing the past few months getting settled in my new position with Bitters’n’Twisted bars, where I’m working as the Drinks Development Manager across 10 venues and managing 8 beverage programs, so you’ll understand why its been pretty busy! So sit back, relax, […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/podcast-back-bartenderhq/">The Podcast is Back! – BartenderHQ</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>We’re back (again)! In this audio podcast we’ll just cover what I’ve been doing the past few months getting settled in my new position with Bitters’n’Twisted bars, where I’m working as the Drinks Development Manager across 10 venues and managing 8 beve...
In this audio podcast we’ll just cover what I’ve been doing the past few months getting settled in my new position with Bitters’n’Twisted bars, where I’m working as the Drinks Development Manager across 10 venues and managing 8 beverage programs, so you’ll understand why its been pretty busy!
So sit back, relax, and if you’re glad we’re back, pop over to the Facebook Page and let me know, and tell me what you want to hear about over the coming weeks.
Thanks so much for your support,
David]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean13:462669BartenderHQ Update – What’s going on?http://bartenderhq.com/bartenderhq-update-whats-going/
Fri, 08 Jul 2016 10:02:25 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2606<p>I just wanted to give everyone a quick update on why there’s been a bit of quiet time here at BartenderHQ, I’ve taken on a new job here in Birmingham and at least during the settling in period everything has been pretty crazy. Listen in to this week’s mini podcast update for a bit of […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/bartenderhq-update-whats-going/">BartenderHQ Update – What’s going on?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>I just wanted to give everyone a quick update on why there’s been a bit of quiet time here at BartenderHQ, I’ve taken on a new job here in Birmingham and at least during the settling in period everything has been pretty crazy.
Listen in to this week’s mini podcast update for a bit of information on what I’m up to, how the Roadhouse audition went and a bit of a behind the scenes view of what goes on here at BartenderHQ, recorded quietly at 0130am!
Normal service will be resumed shortly!]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean10:452606Applying for a bartender job online THE RIGHT WAY | BartenderHQ Podcasthttp://bartenderhq.com/applying-bartender-job-online-right-way/
Tue, 21 Jun 2016 17:59:36 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2583<p>On this weeks show we talk about how not to apply for a bartender job online, as well as the headlines from the world of spirits, cocktails and bartending. Also our drink of the week and why you should never ask who’s next. Bar Industry News Headlines Roadhouse World Flair is auditioning new MCs for […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/applying-bartender-job-online-right-way/">Applying for a bartender job online THE RIGHT WAY | BartenderHQ Podcast</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this weeks show we talk about how not to apply for a bartender job online, as well as the headlines from the world of spirits, cocktails and bartending. Also our drink of the week and why you should never ask who’s next.
Bar Industry News Headlines

* Roadhouse World Flair is auditioning new MCs for 2017 this Sunday in Covent Garden and I’ll be one of the hopefuls, so feel free to come down and support. http://www.roadhouse.co.uk
* Imbibe’s 2016 conference at London Olympia is just around the corner and you can sign up free if you’re in the industry to see all the biggest, and smallest brands out there. http://live.imbibe.com
* Hollywood Star Channing Tatum is launching his own brand of potato based vodka later this year, named Born & Bred, its produced at the award winning Grand Teton Distillery. http://bornandbred.com

How to apply for a bartender job online
In this age of social media its unsurprising that many bartender jobs are now being advertised online, and it doesn’t stop there. Even bar managers, general managers and anyone else in the industry may well find their next job on Facebook, LinkedIn or one of the other networks. We’ll tell you the very worst way to go about applying for one of these jobs with real world examples and help you avoid those mistakes. We discussed the same topic on the blog earlier this year, and you can find the article here.
If you want to know as soon as our new ebook on getting your dream bartending job is launched, click here to sign up (and get our cocktail ebook FREE)
Ready Fire Aim Cocktail: Our Drink of the Week
In celebration of the opening of Employees Only Singapore, we’re sharing the Ready Fire Aim, (includes a video of Steve mixing it) one of Steve Schneider’s signature drinks from the original New York bar.
Ready Fire Aim Cocktail Recipe:

Shake and strain all ingredients into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass, garnish with ground pink peppercorns.
Quick Tips
We’re talking about how to keep on top of your service order and how to deal with those moments when you have no idea who’s next – just NEVER ASK THE GUESTS!]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean2583How to Perfectly Balance Cocktails | BartenderHQ Podcasthttp://bartenderhq.com/perfectly-balance-cocktails-bartenderhq-podcast/
Tue, 14 Jun 2016 11:37:34 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2566<p>On this week’s BartenderHQ Podcast we’ll be covering the headlines in the world of bars, drinks and cocktails, talking about how to perfectly balance cocktails, our drink of the week and how to make drinks faster, so lets get on with the show! Bar Industry News Tragic news of the Orlando Pulse Nightclub shooting. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-36514786 Diageo […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/perfectly-balance-cocktails-bartenderhq-podcast/">How to Perfectly Balance Cocktails | BartenderHQ Podcast</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s BartenderHQ Podcast we’ll be covering the headlines in the world of bars, drinks and cocktails, talking about how to perfectly balance cocktails, our drink of the week and how to make drinks faster, so lets get on with the show!
Bar Industry News

How to perfectly balance cocktails, and which versions of recipes you should learn
Thanks to listener Geena for our main topic this week – with multiple versions of any given cocktail recipe available to find in different books and sources online, does it come down to bartender preference as to which version you should learn and make for your guests? Also, with different guests having different tastes, how sweet, sour or dry should drinks taste? What is the best way to deal with different tastes for sweetness.
Listen in to the podcast for my thoughts, and below you’ll find the resources for recipes that I personally use (other than the brand’s own approved recipes).

Our Saturday was spent over at the National Space Centre mixing up a storm for World Gin Day with Loca Bev’s Minus 33 Juniper Distilled Spirit making Gin & Tonics (ok, Minus 33 isn’t quite Gin, but lets just get past that for simplicity, ok?) with muddled lemon pieces to give it a real sharp citrus flavour, along with our Hibiscus Gin Fizz. As anyone who’s worked events on temporary bars, or in fact, tables in space centres for example, sometimes you need to change your recipes to suit what you have. For example, without fridges, your bottled sparkling water will be warm, and when you’re making carbonated straight up drinks, you can’t shake them.
We took a huge conical flask that was a part of our set dressing for the lab inspired drink, filled it with ice, dried hibiscus and our sparkling water so it was nicely chilled, and added some really nice colour to the drink too, while adding theatre to making the drink. So what’s in it?

With a couple of floating hibiscus petals and an orange twist on the edge of the flute, the drink looked fantastic, selling over 100 during the evening.
Tip of the Week – Optimise your bar set up
We’re talking minimising movement,]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean2566The All New BartenderHQ Podcasthttp://bartenderhq.com/new-bartenderhq-podcast/
Mon, 06 Jun 2016 20:24:27 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2542<p>So here it is, the first New BartenderHQ Podcast! Bar Industry News Headlines London Fox e-cigarettes are planning to launch smokable cocktails – flavours designed to pair perfectly with classic drinks. http://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2016/06/new-e-cigarette-brand-offers-smokable-cocktails/?platform=hootsuite Jameson is set to capitalise on the current trend for Irish Whiskey with a range of super premium expressions named “Blender’s Dog”, “Cooper’s Croze” […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/new-bartenderhq-podcast/">The All New BartenderHQ Podcast</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>So here it is, the first New BartenderHQ Podcast! Bar Industry News Headlines London Fox e-cigarettes are planning to launch smokable cocktails – flavours designed to pair perfectly with classic drinks. http://www.thespiritsbusiness.
Bar Industry News Headlines

The Main Event: The New Look BartenderHQ Podcast
The All NEW BartenderHQ Podcast – Why we’re going back to audio only podcasting, and a little more about our new format.
As a result you’ll be seeing more short videos and flair tutorials on the Youtube channel. On the podcasts we’re getting back to our roots and focusing on the news and discussion, so please help us out by telling us what you want to know more about.
Drink of the Week
Each week we’ll be featuring a different drink from the website that week, this week it’s the Tommy’s Margarita – check out the recipe on BartenderHQ here.

Quick Tips
Every week we’ll be giving you an actionable point that you can put to work in your bar right away to improve service, get further in your career and more. This week we’re talking about creating personal connections with your guests through drinks recommendations.
Get Involved in the BartenderHQ Podcast
This podcast is nothing without you, so please get involved. If you have one question about bars, drinks, spirits or cocktails, please tweet us @BartenderHQ and we’ll make sure its addressed in an upcoming show.]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean2542Booze & Bazinga – An intro to our new comics & cocktails showhttp://bartenderhq.com/booze-bazinga-intro-comics-show/
Tue, 31 May 2016 11:35:28 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2530<p>I love me some comic book TV and movie action, and I know you guys do too. So what better than talking about our favourite superheroes while sipping some great cocktails? We’ve created Booze & Bazinga as a separate site from BartenderHQ as it gets all of our ramblings about trailers, movie reviews and all […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/booze-bazinga-intro-comics-show/">Booze & Bazinga – An intro to our new comics & cocktails show</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>I love me some comic book TV and movie action, and I know you guys do too. So what better than talking about our favourite superheroes while sipping some great cocktails? We’ve created Booze & Bazinga as a separate site from BartenderHQ as it gets all ...
We’ve created Booze & Bazinga as a separate site from BartenderHQ as it gets all of our ramblings about trailers, movie reviews and all that good stuff too, but on the weekly(ish) video podcast we’ll be including a lot of talk about cocktails and making something excellent to drink while we chat.
Joining me on each week’s show is Samuel Boulton, an extremely knowledgeable bartender (who makes far better drinks than I do) and a man who makes it to more midnight launch screenings for movies than anyone else I know. He’ll be making cocktails with things even I’ve never heard of I’m sure.
So sit back, grab a cocktail and join us as we talk through the past years of Superhero movies and catch up ready for what we have to come!

Find Samuel online at http://LiquidThoughts.co.uk]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean2530Polugar, The REAL Spirit of Russiahttp://bartenderhq.com/polugar-real-spirit-russia/
Sun, 22 May 2016 22:03:01 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2419<p>When you think of Russia, what drink comes to mind? Vodka, I’ll bet, but what if I told you that back in the days of Chekhov, Ivan the Terrible and Dostoevsky had never heard of the stuff, what would you say? Polugar is the grand daddy of Vodka, and in this episode we’re getting into […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/polugar-real-spirit-russia/">Polugar, The REAL Spirit of Russia</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>When you think of Russia, what drink comes to mind? Vodka, I’ll bet, but what if I told you that back in the days of Chekhov, Ivan the Terrible and Dostoevsky had never heard of the stuff, what would you say? Polugar is the grand daddy of Vodka,
Polugar
On the show we’re tasting Polugar:

You can find the full tasting notes here http://www.rusvin.ru/media/Polugar.pdf
Rollercoaster Restaurant
Last week I visited Alton Towers and ate at the brand new Rollercoaster Restaurant where your food is delivered by a miniature rollercoaster system that brings your food and drinks directly to the table.
Check out our full review here.
Booze and Bazinga
Booze and Bazinga is my new weekly show where we take a look into the world of comics and geek culture with Samuel Boulton and myself. Geeks drinking damn fine cocktails is the tag line and that sums it up nicely! Check out the site for our movie reviews, geeky tv news and trailers too!Booze and Bazinga]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean2419Monkeying around at the Ultimate Bartender Championship…http://bartenderhq.com/monkey-shoulder-ultimate-bartender-championship/
Sun, 15 May 2016 19:00:15 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2403<p>On this show we talk Monkey Shoulder’s Ultimate Bartender Championship and the value of preparation. Monkey Shoulder Ultimate Bartender Championship In years gone by, this has been a team competition, but for 2016 bartenders are doing it for themselves and competing to make the top 5 for a trip to Tales of the Cocktail in […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/monkey-shoulder-ultimate-bartender-championship/">Monkeying around at the Ultimate Bartender Championship…</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this show we talk Monkey Shoulder’s Ultimate Bartender Championship and the value of preparation. Monkey Shoulder Ultimate Bartender Championship In years gone by, this has been a team competition, but for 2016 bartenders are doing it for themselves...
Monkey Shoulder Ultimate Bartender Championship
In years gone by, this has been a team competition, but for 2016 bartenders are doing it for themselves and competing to make the top 5 for a trip to Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans to compete to win their own fully stocked bar at London Cocktail Week along with all the profits.
Check out all the details inside and start prepping for next year!
Polugar Masterclass & Competition
I’ll be heading to Nottingham this Sunday (today when the podcast is released) to enjoy Samuel Boulton educating the masses about Polugar, a forerunner of the Vodka we know today, then helping judge a cocktail competition using their range. Check out the details on next week’s show.
Be At One Birmingham opens
Birmingham’s newest opening, the 30th Be At One venue nicely ties up with the brand’s 18th Birthday, which means their bars can finally order their own drinks at the bar. Check out our opening review here.
Podcasting as a Bartender
We were honoured to be featured by Nightclub.com on their 7 best hospitality podcasts list last month, so we’re talking about how you can join the growing community of industry podcasts to share your experiences. Check out Pat Flynn’s SmartPassiveIncome.com and Ozeal’s at thinkozeal.com.
Memorising Cocktails the Easy Way
Want to support the show? We don’t just ask for a tip, here’s a cool book that’ll help you recall drinks faster and make more tips. So basically you get richer by buying it. What’s not to love? http://bartenderhq.com/memorising-cocktails-the-easy-way/]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean2403Adventures in Mixology Competitions – Suze & Byrrhhttp://bartenderhq.com/mixology-competitions-suze-byrrh/
Mon, 09 May 2016 07:20:44 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2370<p>Mixology competitions are a great way to build your profile in the bar industry and after many years of bartending I’ve entered my first! Find out more on this week’s BartenderHQ show! Entering Mixology Competitions So why are mixology competitions so good for getting your name known? Simply because these competitions will often have the […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/mixology-competitions-suze-byrrh/">Adventures in Mixology Competitions – Suze & Byrrh</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Mixology competitions are a great way to build your profile in the bar industry and after many years of bartending I’ve entered my first! Find out more on this week’s BartenderHQ show! Entering Mixology Competitions So why are mixology competitions so ...
Entering Mixology Competitions
So why are mixology competitions so good for getting your name known? Simply because these competitions will often have the brand managers for the products there as well as bartenders from other great bars in your area, so they are a great place to network.
In terms of the format, in most cases the brands will ask for drinks to be submitted online first either on a website or via email to the brand. Make sure you read the rules first as many mixology competitions will place restrictions on how many ingredients can be used or include guidance on home made items. The point of these competitions is normally to build brand awareness or find new ways of serving the drinks that can be rolled out to bars so make sure you pay attention to the rules or you may be disqualified.
How to Win Mixology Competitions
As I mentioned, this was my first in person competition, so I wasn’t expecting to win, but knowing a little of what the judges were looking for was super useful.
Our friends over at A Bar Above have a great eBook on exactly this subject which you can grab for free!
Here are my top 5 tips though, just to get you started!

* Make your drink! So many people just come up with a recipe without trying it first and make horribly unbalanced drinks without knowing.
* Avoid home made ingredients. While they give you far more freedom, if the brand wants to have the winning drinks rolled out to other bars, your home-made unicorn tear bitters may make that tricky.
* Check out the brand portfolio. Check which other products the same distributor represents and try to use their products, i.e. if you need a Gin, make sure its theirs, and they’ll want to share your recipe even more.
* Take a nice picture of your drink. If you’re doing an online or email submission, taking a nice picture of your drink and including them with your entry will prove that you’ve made the effort and tested your drink before sending it off.
* Share Share Share. I can’t believe how secretive some bartenders are of their recipes – perhaps they’re worried someone will take their ideas. Brands want publicity, so share what you’ve created for them and they’ll love you even more.

Taking it to the next level
If you want to seriously destroy the competition at these events, you NEED A Bar Above’s cocktail design course. Now it does cost $60 but thats less than you’ll spend in an evening at the bar drinking a hand full of cocktails and the amount of information in here is INSANE! I’m still working my way through, getting my mixology game to where it needs to be, so join me in the course and keep up 😉 Even better, by signing up through my link you’ll also be helping to support BartenderHQ and keep us going!
Next Week…
On next week’s show we’ll be talking about another bartending competition, the Monkey Shoulder Ultimate Bartender Championship – so hit Subscribe on the Youtube channel so you don’t miss it!]]>David Eden Sangwell: Flair Bartender, Mixologist and bar trainerclean2370New York Vs Las Vegas Bars – The Bartender’s Honeymoon | BartenderHQ Podcasthttp://bartenderhq.com/new-york-vs-las-vegas-bars-bartenders-honeymoon-bartenderhq-podcast/
Sun, 01 May 2016 14:02:42 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2356<p>A brief overview of our trip to Employees Only NYC, Suffolk Arms, Carnaval Court with Tim Flippy Morris and much more! On this week’s Podcast: Apologies for the delay – with Weddings, Honeymoon and getting back to work its all been pretty crazy! Here’s an overview of what we got up to, Employees Only with […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/new-york-vs-las-vegas-bars-bartenders-honeymoon-bartenderhq-podcast/">New York Vs Las Vegas Bars – The Bartender’s Honeymoon | BartenderHQ Podcast</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>A brief overview of our trip to Employees Only NYC, Suffolk Arms, Carnaval Court with Tim Flippy Morris and much more! On this week’s Podcast: Apologies for the delay – with Weddings, Honeymoon and getting back to work its all been pretty crazy!
On this week’s Podcast:
Apologies for the delay – with Weddings, Honeymoon and getting back to work its all been pretty crazy!
Here’s an overview of what we got up to, Employees Only with Steve Schneider, Suffolk Arms, Baker Street (the original Friday’s on 63rd & 1st), PDT and more in New York and Harrah’s Carnaval Court with Tim ‘Flippy’ Morris and company, Fuel Bar with Rodo Delpech, Penn & Teller, Piff the Magic Dragon and Mac King (indulging my magic passions too).
So sit back, relax and take it all in. If there’s anything you’re interested in hearing more about (or guests you want to see on the show) let me know and we’ll talk more in future shows!

BartenderHQ Shirts
Want the awesome shirts? http://www.cafepress.co.uk/bartenderhqstore]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean2356Luna Solihull & Online Flair Challenge updatehttp://bartenderhq.com/bartenderhq-online-flair-challenge-update/
Mon, 21 Mar 2016 08:50:48 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2290<p>An update on what’s going on with the Central Flair Series Bartending competition both online and where we’ll be holding the events in future, Luna Nightclub in Solihull! I also talk about how we’ve been updating the bars at Luna to make them more efficient and easier to work for the team. More to come […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/bartenderhq-online-flair-challenge-update/">Luna Solihull & Online Flair Challenge update</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>An update on what’s going on with the Central Flair Series Bartending competition both online and where we’ll be holding the events in future, Luna Nightclub in Solihull! I also talk about how we’ve been updating the bars at Luna to make them more effi...
I also talk about how we’ve been updating the bars at Luna to make them more efficient and easier to work for the team. More to come too on next week’s podcast
Check out Luna on Facebook and follow for the latest on the Central Flair Series.

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean2290What’s Happened to the BartenderHQ Podcast?http://bartenderhq.com/whats-happened-bartenderhq-podcast/
Tue, 15 Mar 2016 22:13:11 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2287<p>The BartenderHQ Podcast has been quiet for a couple of weeks – so here’s what’s been going on! Reflex Arcadian, the home of the Central Flair Series has now closed down which was both my and my fiancee’s place of work, so everything has been pretty stressful and up in the air over the past couple […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/whats-happened-bartenderhq-podcast/">What’s Happened to the BartenderHQ Podcast?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>The BartenderHQ Podcast has been quiet for a couple of weeks – so here’s what’s been going on! Reflex Arcadian, the home of the Central Flair Series has now closed down which was both my and my fiancee’s place of work,
Reflex Arcadian, the home of the Central Flair Series has now closed down which was both my and my fiancee’s place of work, so everything has been pretty stressful and up in the air over the past couple of weeks, but I’m now in a new club not too far away, so look for things to improve with the podcast over the next couple of weeks.
The full details are in the show, but if you have any suggestions for what you’d like to see from BartenderHQ in future, let us know over on the Facebook Page and we’ll do what we can to taylor the show to what you guys need!

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean2287Learning Cocktails Easily and Make Better Tips Behind the Bar!http://bartenderhq.com/learning-cocktails-easily-and-make-better-tips-behind-the-bar/
Sun, 21 Feb 2016 17:27:39 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2245<p>On this week’s show we look at the similarities between different cocktail recipes and how you can commit literally HUNDREDS of Drinks to memory easily with my technique. Learning cocktails will make you more money! One of the hardest things I found early on about bartending was learning cocktails and be able to recall them […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/learning-cocktails-easily-and-make-better-tips-behind-the-bar/">Learning Cocktails Easily and Make Better Tips Behind the Bar!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s show we look at the similarities between different cocktail recipes and how you can commit literally HUNDREDS of Drinks to memory easily with my technique. Learning cocktails will make you more money!
One of the hardest things I found early on about bartending was learning cocktails and be able to recall them under pressure at a moments notice. Over the years I learnt many techniques that helped to retain different drinks, from reducing the vast majority of drinks down to a short formula to using the PEG system, mnemonics and visualisation to allow me to remember over 600 cocktail recipes when competing in the TGI Friday’s Bartender Challenge competition.
These techniques will also earn you huge tips, not only because you won’t be stopping your service to look up drinks recipes, but you’ll be able to remember and recall the names of anyone you meet including guests after meeting them just once! Imagine blowing your guests minds with that the first time they meet you!
Sipsmith Gin Masterclass
We also touch on the fantastic Sipsmith Gin tasting session held at Birmingham’s Jekyll & Hyde bar last Monday and some of the information we were privileged to learn in the company of spirit and drinks historian Jared Brown. Find out more in our dedicated Sipsmith article here.
Want the Learning Cocktail SUPERPOWERS?
Those little tasters enough to make you hungry for some hardcore drinks memorisation? Then look no further, I’ve distilled all the best techniques and tips down into my eBook, Memorising Cocktails The Easy Way, so you’ll cut out all of the failed attempts and bad ideas, because I’ve already done all the hard work for you! Click below to find out all the details!Memorising Cocktails The Easy Way

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean19:462245Making your bar more profitable: an interview with BevSpot Co-Founder Rory Crawfordhttp://bartenderhq.com/making-your-bar-more-profitable/
Sun, 14 Feb 2016 14:00:00 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2221<p>Rory Crawford spent four years in San Francisco working in technology banking and investing at J.P. Morgan and General Atlantic before co-founding BevSpot.com, designed for making your bar more profitable. BevSpot gives you insights about what’s behind your bar, saving you time and money, streamlining your ordering, keeping track of offers and discounts, speeding up […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/making-your-bar-more-profitable/">Making your bar more profitable: an interview with BevSpot Co-Founder Rory Crawford</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Find out how to make your bar more profitable with modern tools to analyse your beverage program and inventoryBevSpot.com, designed for making your bar more profitable.
BevSpot gives you insights about what’s behind your bar, saving you time and money, streamlining your ordering, keeping track of offers and discounts, speeding up your stocktaking and inventory by inputting directly to the cloud and tracking your margins on every drink in your beverage program.
How does BevSpot help in making your bar more profitable?
By moving from clunky old interfaces to clean and fast apps that look more like twitter than Excel ’95, everything is clear and accessible wherever you are, so you can stay in control of your business and its costs. Save yourself hours every week that you can put into growing your bar’s social reach, bringing in more customers or simply spending more time with those who are important to you instead of in a cold cellar or sitting at the desk of your cramped back of house office.
So grab a properly priced beverage and enjoy our chat with Rory!

Even if you’re not in the market for a system like BevSpot right now, check out their excellent resources page where you’ll find case studies, drinks pricing calculators and downloadable ebooks covering running a more profitable bar and bar management.
Regardless of your role within your current bar, having a better understanding of the business side of running a bar or restaurant will make you more valuable to your current job and stand you in good stead when you’re looking to move up to the next level!
So you can book a free online demo of BevSpot’s system for making your bar more profitable today, click here to get in touch with Rory and his team!]]>David Sangwell interviews Rory Crawford from BevSpotclean15:442221Bartenders watch Cocktail – A Movie Commentaryhttp://bartenderhq.com/bartenders-watch-cocktail-a-movie-commentary/
Sun, 07 Feb 2016 14:00:29 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2166<p>Tom Cruse’s 1988 classic/guilty pleasure movie cocktail has probably spawned more flair bartenders than any other movie in history. I unashamedly love this movie, the soundtrack is amazing, so consider this to a love letter to this movie that has influenced a generation of flair bartender. Its still impossible to work a shift flair bartending […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/bartenders-watch-cocktail-a-movie-commentary/">Bartenders watch Cocktail – A Movie Commentary</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Bartenders watch Cocktail 1988 with Tom Cruise - A Movie Commentary
Its still impossible to work a shift flair bartending in the UK at least without at least the danger of being called Tom Cruise before the end of the night, and thats because Cocktail is still the main reference point that people understand for flair bartending.
So enjoy, be warned, its a long video, just under 2 hours in length and towards the end we’re getting a little drunk… There is also some strong language so watch at your own risk!
That being said, grab yourself a cocktail, cue up your copy of the movie Cocktail and watch along with us! Need the movie?
You can find our super popular article on the Last Barman Poet scene here.

]]>David Sangwell - BartenderHQ | Cocktails | Flair Bartending |Bar Cultureclean2166How to Organise an Event for Bartendershttp://bartenderhq.com/how-to-organise-an-event-for-bartenders/
Sun, 31 Jan 2016 13:38:13 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2163<p>On this week’s podcast we’re discussing a few of the details of the Central Flair Series and some of the lessons learned from getting the whole event from concept to actually happening! So, for once I’ll not go on for ages, just sit back, relax and enjoy! You can find full details on the Central […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/how-to-organise-an-event-for-bartenders/">How to Organise an Event for Bartenders</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s podcast we’re discussing a few of the details of the Central Flair Series and some of the lessons learned from getting the whole event from concept to actually happening! So, for once I’ll not go on for ages, just sit back,
On this week’s podcast we’re discussing a few of the details of the Central Flair Series and some of the lessons learned from getting the whole event from concept to actually happening!
So, for once I’ll not go on for ages, just sit back, relax and enjoy!
You can find full details on the Central Flair Series here.]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean13:482163Craft Bartender Summit – Free Online Bartender Conferencehttp://bartenderhq.com/the-craft-bartender-summit-free-online-bartender-conference/
Sun, 24 Jan 2016 12:18:55 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2153<p>On this week’s podcast I’m talking to Julia from ABarAbove.com and the Mixology Talk podcast about the Craft Bartender Summit, a free online bartender conference coming in April 2016! What is the Craft Bartender Summit? The Craft Bartender Summit is a conference created to make the best educational seminars available to all bartenders and hospitality professionals regardless […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/the-craft-bartender-summit-free-online-bartender-conference/">Craft Bartender Summit – Free Online Bartender Conference</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s podcast I’m talking to Julia from ABarAbove.com and the Mixology Talk podcast about the Craft Bartender Summit, a free online bartender conference coming in April 2016! What is the Craft Bartender Summit?ABarAbove.com and the Mixology Talk podcast about the Craft Bartender Summit, a free online bartender conference coming in April 2016!

What is the Craft Bartender Summit?
The Craft Bartender Summit is a conference created to make the best educational seminars available to all bartenders and hospitality professionals regardless of experience, budget or location.
In essence, the Craft Bartender Summit allows bartenders around the world, regardless of their funds or geographical location to access some of the best educators in the bar industry. As long as you have an internet connection you can benefit from all the content for free.
There are many bartending conferences around the world, from Tales of the Cocktail to Imbibe and the Nightclub and Bar show, but it can be expensive to travel across the country or even the world to attend these, which is where the summit comes in!

Check out the video or audio podcast to find out more from Julia Tunstall, the brains behind the whole event for more details and what you can expect from the Craft Bartender Summit.
With seminars on Hospitality, Products, Bar Career, Bar Business & Technique, its certainly an event not to be missed. You can reserve your place at the conference here.
You can find out more about the Craft Bartender Summit by following @ABarAbove on Twitter
Central Flair Series announces Bacardi as main sponsor
We’re delighted to announce that Bacardi have agreed to support the Central Flair Series, and will be the flair bottle of choice for the competition.
Bacardi has long been the favoured bottle of flair bartenders all over the world and has won more awards for its spirit than any other Rum in history!
Join us at Reflex Arcadian in Birmingham for Round 1 of the Central Flair Series on Monday 1st February from 7:30pm for a night of amazing flair bartending and some delicious Bacardi cocktails!]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean2153Government Alcohol Advice and the 2016 Bartender Podcast listhttp://bartenderhq.com/government-alcohol-advice-and-the-2016-bartender-podcast-list/
Sun, 10 Jan 2016 10:13:16 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2112<p>This week the UK Government released new advice on safe drinking limits for adult males and females, reducing the maximum recommended limit for men in line with the existing advice for women and recommending alcohol free days each week. (BBC Article) Will this cause your bar to rethink their menu and offer lower alcohol drinks […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/government-alcohol-advice-and-the-2016-bartender-podcast-list/">Government Alcohol Advice and the 2016 Bartender Podcast list</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>The best podcasts on iTunes about the bar industry - improve your bar industry knowledge for free!
This week the UK Government released new advice on safe drinking limits for adult males and females, reducing the maximum recommended limit for men in line with the existing advice for women and recommending alcohol free days each week. (BBC Article)
Will this cause your bar to rethink their menu and offer lower alcohol drinks or increase your alcohol free options?
Podcasts for bartenders (and by bartenders)
2016 is a great year to be a bartender with a huge amount of free education online in terms of websites, blogs, podcasts and YouTube. Here are some of the best podcasts available at the start of 2016 on the subject of bars and bartending

Mixology Talk Podcast – A Bar Above
Mixology Talk is a great podcast for bartenders of any level with advice ranging from which pour spout to buy and how to take care of them right through to creating your own tinctures and bitters. They also have a superb course on cocktail ingredients and cocktail design which I highly recommend.

Bartender Journey Podcast
Brian Weber is a New York bartender with years of experience who works with Tales of the Cocktail on their premium podcast too, giving him easy access to some of the biggest names in bartending. Featuring regular interviews with distillers as well as bartenders, Brian really gets stuck into the meat of the topic. Notable for the great toasts which he ends each episode with too!

The Steve Schneider Show Podcast
Steve Schneider is one of the most prominent bartenders in the world and is constantly travelling to judge some of the top cocktail competitions worldwide. Employees Only in New York is the bar he calls home, as seen in the excellent movie ‘Hey Bartender’ and his podcast reflects the lifestyle side of top flight bartending as much as it talks about the drinks themselves. Always an entertaining listen with awesome stories and anecdotes from both Steve and his guests.

The Road Rash Podcast
Road Rash is the latest arrival to the podcast party, and its off to a great start! Bartender Russell Davis (who we interviewed last year) and Chef Brian Duffy, both featured on Spike TV’s Bar Rescue with Jon Taffer host the show talking about stories from their travels and interviewing eclectic guests. Its going to be great to see where this podcast goes so subscribe now!

The BartenderHQ podcast is getting bigger every year, but there’s no show without you!
Leave us a review on clean13:272112Cocktail, Spirit and Bar Trends 2016http://bartenderhq.com/cocktail-and-spirit-trends-2016/
Sun, 03 Jan 2016 22:44:09 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2087<p>On this week’s podcast we’re looking back at the emerging trends from 2015 in terms of bars, spirits and cocktail flavours, as well as taking a a look at where I think 2016 will take us. Bar Trends 2016 As bars become more and more specialised offering menus based on single spirits, Gin parlours, Whiskey […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/cocktail-and-spirit-trends-2016/">Cocktail, Spirit and Bar Trends 2016</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s podcast we’re looking back at the emerging trends from 2015 in terms of bars, spirits and cocktail flavours, as well as taking a a look at where I think 2016 will take us. Bar Trends 2016 As bars become more and more specialised offering...
On this week’s podcast we’re looking back at the emerging trends from 2015 in terms of bars, spirits and cocktail flavours, as well as taking a a look at where I think 2016 will take us.
Bar Trends 2016
As bars become more and more specialised offering menus based on single spirits, Gin parlours, Whiskey bars and Tiki bars to name but a few, as well as the proliferation of Speakeasies and other bars really taking a hold of the classic and pre-prohibition drinks, 2016 will see this trend continue with bars getting even more specific in their offerings.
Gin and Tonic specialists will branch away from cocktail focused Gin parlours for example, craft beer specialists will continue to thrive and perhaps even fork into stout bars, IPA bars etc.
Spirit Trends 2016
Following on from the increase in craft spirits and beers in 2015, more boutique distillates will come to market in 2016 and beyond, but moving away from the un-aged spirits like vodkas and gins and into segments like rums and whisk(e)y, with non-scotch single malts and single barrel craft style offerings gaining ground.
Quality Tequilas and Mezcal will gain far more following outside the Americas.
Cocktail Trends 2016
While 2015 has popularised the use of salt in cocktails in the craft movement, 2016 may well see it move into more mainstream outlets like Friday’s and other chains.
Use of Sherry and Port in cocktails will continue, along with an increase in the use of specific vintages of wines called for in recipes. Batching and barrel aged cocktails will also flourish, and there will likely be commercially available versions of these coming to market before the year is out.
Bartenders will continue to take cues from the bleeding edge of cuisine making use of the high end equipment like centrifuges and sou vie, but more will begin to spill over in the other direction with Chefs taking advantage of bar techniques such as creating perfectly clear ice for use in deserts.
The Gin & Tonic Experiment
In the coming weeks we’ll be creating a video testing as many service styles for the humble Gin & Tonic as possible – trying different garnish fruits, zests, herbs and production techniques to find the ultimate G&T. I’d love your contributions so please, drop us a message on Facebook or tweet me your favourite service for the classic gin and tonic!]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean12:582087Central Flair Series, Roadhouse and January Dryathlonshttp://bartenderhq.com/central-flair-series-roadhouse-and-tom-dyers-final-flair-competition/
Mon, 28 Dec 2015 00:21:04 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2062<p>BartenderHQ is delighted to announce the Central Flair Series! Central Flair Series The Central Flair Series is a monthly event that BartenderHQ is producing in association with the West Midlands Flair Club and Reflex Arcadian in Birmingham. Running on the first Monday of each month starting from Monday 1st of February 2016 the CFS will be […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/central-flair-series-roadhouse-and-tom-dyers-final-flair-competition/">Central Flair Series, Roadhouse and January Dryathlons</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Central Flair Series, Roadhouse and January Dryathlons - Bartender HQ
Central Flair Series
The Central Flair Series is a monthly event that BartenderHQ is producing in association with the West Midlands Flair Club and Reflex Arcadian in Birmingham.
Running on the first Monday of each month starting from Monday 1st of February 2016 the CFS will be a little different from other flair competitions, aiming to be as welcoming as possible for new and experienced bartenders to attend and compete together as easily as possible. We’ll be including a Midlands Flair Bartender league running throughout the year, a novice subcategory to give new bartenders a chance to be a winner and an open competition for anyone to enter, all in the same competition format.
For full details, check out our event page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/events/545705988922369/
You can also check out the Central Flair Series homepage for all the rules and schedules.
Changes at Roadhouse World Flair
Roadhouse in Covent Garden, London, easily the biggest flair competition in the UK has some big changes coming to the Roadhouse World Flair competition in 2016, with the WFA (World Flair Association) taking over the day to day running of the competition.
We’ll be keeping a close eye out for any rules changes that come from this but it can only be a good thing. The World Flair Association has been very active in helping to promote smaller flair competitions and pushing to educate bartenders with their coloured tin certification levels.
BartenderHQ and the CFS will do everything we can to support the goals of the WFA and encourage bartenders to compete at Roadhouse too, and we’re hoping to be down at several Roadhouse events in 2016!
Here’s Tom Dyer’s legendary farewell routine from the Roadhouse World Flair Final 2015, the Bottle and Tin is King routine that had everyone talking at the end of November this year!

January – Dryathlons and filling your time
Of course coming through December, we’re getting to the end of the busy period of the year and coming into the quietest month of the year.
If you’re looking for something to fill your time –

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean2062Suds & Duds & Star Wars Cocktailshttp://bartenderhq.com/suds-duds-star-wars-cocktails/
Thu, 17 Dec 2015 00:03:13 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2054<p>We’re late but we’re back with a new look podcast! First off this week was a trip to Birmingham’s new speakeasy, Suds & Duds, hidden away behind a Launderette frontage off the main drag of Broad Street. Suds & Duds head bartender Sam Boulton welcomed me to the bar and shared a couple of his […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/suds-duds-star-wars-cocktails/">Suds & Duds & Star Wars Cocktails</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>We’re late but we’re back with a new look podcast! First off this week was a trip to Birmingham’s new speakeasy, Suds & Duds, hidden away behind a Launderette frontage off the main drag of Broad Street. Suds & Duds head bartender Sam Boulton welcomed m...
First off this week was a trip to Birmingham’s new speakeasy, Suds & Duds, hidden away behind a Launderette frontage off the main drag of Broad Street.
Suds & Duds head bartender Sam Boulton welcomed me to the bar and shared a couple of his new recipes, the Netflix & Chill and the Oreo Espresso Martini.

Netflix & Chill is a Sailor Jerry’s base with Frangelico, Butter popcorn syrup and lemon juice, while the Oreo Espresso Martini mixes Kraken Spiced rum with Kahlua, Oreo cookie syrup and a espresso coffee. Check out the BartenderHQ take on a Rum Espresso Martini here.
The Suds & Duds bar has a great look and will quickly become a go to place for anyone in the city after a great drink!
Suds & Duds,
Gas Street
Birmingham
0121 6324936
Star Wars New Years Eve
Head down to Reflex in Birmingham’s Chinese Quarter this New Years Eve to join the Star Wars Celebration as 2016 Awakens! David from BartenderHQ will be behind the wood mixing our Force Awakens cocktails all night long.

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean7:362054Bartender Gifts perfect for Christmashttp://bartenderhq.com/bartender-gifts-perfect-for-christmas/
Sun, 06 Dec 2015 16:00:15 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2027<p>Its that time of year and as we all know bartenders are a pain to buy for! So, save the effort and check out our gift suggestions below – this is your one stop shop for your bartender Christmas shopping! Cool Bartender Shirts Ok, we’re biased, but we love these shirts! Look out for new […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/bartender-gifts-perfect-for-christmas/">Bartender Gifts perfect for Christmas</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Its that time of year and as we all know bartenders are a pain to buy for! So, save the effort and check out our gift suggestions below – this is your one stop shop for your bartender Christmas shopping! Cool Bartender Shirts Ok, we’re biased,
Cool Bartender ShirtsOk, we’re biased, but we love these shirts! Look out for new designs coming early in the new year but for now there are 4 designs to choose from: Bottle & Tin, Flair, Old Fashioned and Daiquiri. Take your pick and show your passion!
There’s a variety of styles so you can choose your favourite on a hoodie, a variety of T-shirt options, long sleeves, and we’ve not forgotten the ladies – these are available for everyone!
So head over to the store, check out the options and place your order. Feel happy that you’re helping keep BartenderHQ’s podcast and website running. Servers cost money you know!BartenderHQ.com/Store
Homemade Gift Guide from A Bar Above
Chris and Julia from A Bar Above put out a great podcast a couple of weeks ago about how you can create your own personalised gifts for your friends and family. Whether you want to create bitters, tinctures, infusions or anything else, their guide is a great place to start. If you’ve not heard it already, check out our podcast with Chris and Julia, from way back at the start of the show!Homemade Christmas Gifts from A Bar Above
For everything bar related…
We’ve partnered with BarProducts, the world leader in bartender equipment so you can get absolutely anything you need.
Whether you need a sleeve of shaker tins for your year’s flair competitions (BarProducts offer these with a guaranteed 93mm diameter so you know your tins will match and you won’t suffer from sticky tin), custom Flairco Practice bottles with your own design or even just some pour spouts, BarProducts is your one stop shop, and you can help support BartenderHQ by buying through our links.
Our Amazon Gift Guide
Don’t forget last year we put together a bar gift guide, with some great options. If you’re buying from the UK store we’ll get a little kick back from your purchase, but you’ll be able to find the items on Amazon worldwide.http://bartenderhq.com/bartender-gift-guide/

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean10:402027BBC Good Food Show with Minus 33 & Loca Bev Labshttp://bartenderhq.com/bbc-good-food-show-with-minus-33-loca-bev/
Mon, 30 Nov 2015 01:54:55 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2016<p>On this week’s video podcast we’re talking about working at trade shows and using your bartending skills to sell bottles by retail to the public. Winter BBC Good Food Show Birmingham with Minus 33 Thursday and Friday BartenderHQ was working alongside Loca Bev‘s Minus 33 Juniper Distilled Spirit, and in the show we talk about […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/bbc-good-food-show-with-minus-33-loca-bev/">BBC Good Food Show with Minus 33 & Loca Bev Labs</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s video podcast we’re talking about working at trade shows and using your bartending skills to sell bottles by retail to the public. Winter BBC Good Food Show Birmingham with Minus 33 Thursday and Friday BartenderHQ was working alongside L...
Winter BBC Good Food Show Birmingham with Minus 33
Thursday and Friday BartenderHQ was working alongside Loca Bev‘s Minus 33 Juniper Distilled Spirit, and in the show we talk about why that doesn’t mean that Minus 33 is Gin, but something different, something better. Minus 33 is the Gin that is better than Gin.
We’ll talk about using your bartending skills and prowess to support new spirit brands and how to have a mutually beneficial relationship, making your guests and others in the industry aware of the new products while associating yourself with the brand.
So if you’re looking for a spirit to mix in gin cocktails, Minus 33 may be the spirit for you!
Flair Bartending Course
There is more information too on how to save on our flair course which will be released in the coming weeks – so sign up here for your 50% launch week discount and get yourself a free cocktail ebook while you’re waiting!
Want the BartenderHQ Podcast as soon as its released each week? Subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher Smart Radio.
Join The Flair Project at http://TheFlairProject.com

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean12:182016Bartending in Dubai – Ramblings of a Bartenderhttp://bartenderhq.com/bartending-in-dubai-ramblings-of-a-bartender/
Sun, 22 Nov 2015 11:12:46 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=2010<p>The Podcast is Back! Sorry to everyone for the break – We’ve been arranging our wedding and with the new job everything has got a little crazy! On this week’s podcast I’m talking about my work bartending in Dubai 5 years ago, stories about living in the Middle East and slinging cocktails. There are plenty […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/bartending-in-dubai-ramblings-of-a-bartender/">Bartending in Dubai – Ramblings of a Bartender</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>A discussion on living in the UAE as a flair bartender from the UK and the Dubai lifestyle
Sorry to everyone for the break – We’ve been arranging our wedding and with the new job everything has got a little crazy!
On this week’s podcast I’m talking about my work bartending in Dubai 5 years ago, stories about living in the Middle East and slinging cocktails. There are plenty more stories to tell so if you like this show, let me know and we’ll talk more about it!
In 2010 I was recruited to work in Dubai at One & Only The Palm on the Palm Jumeirah as a senior bartender training new staff and flipping bottles in one of the most amazing places on earth. We even had Cocktail star Tom Cruise filming Mission Impossible 4 next door!
The Flair Course – Coming Soon!
We’re also talking about our soon to be released first Flair Bartending Course – a homage to Tom Cruise himself as we’ll be teaching how to perform the Hippy Hippy Shake routine from the movie! If you want to be the first to know when the course is released just sign up for our mailing list as there will be an exclusive discount for our subscribers too valid for the launch week!
Click this link to sign up: http://bartenderhq.com/sign-up/

]]>David Scooby Sangwell - Flair Bartender, Cocktail Mixologist and Bar Trainerclean25:542010Gold of Mauritius Mixology Competition & Halloween – BartenderHQ Podcasthttp://bartenderhq.com/gold-of-mauritius-mixology-competition-halloween-bartenderhq-podcast/
Sun, 25 Oct 2015 23:09:38 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1983<p>On this weeks’ podcast: Gold of Mauritius Rum Mixology Competition As you’ll have seen on the website over the past weeks (and with more to come) I’m sharing the creations from the Gold of Mauritius competition held over the past few weeks across the UK and culminating in the final at Rumfest in London last […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/gold-of-mauritius-mixology-competition-halloween-bartenderhq-podcast/">Gold of Mauritius Mixology Competition & Halloween – BartenderHQ Podcast</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this weeks’ podcast: Gold of Mauritius Rum Mixology Competition As you’ll have seen on the website over the past weeks (and with more to come) I’m sharing the creations from the Gold of Mauritius competition held over the past few weeks across the U...
Gold of Mauritius Rum Mixology Competition
As you’ll have seen on the website over the past weeks (and with more to come) I’m sharing the creations from the Gold of Mauritius competition held over the past few weeks across the UK and culminating in the final at Rumfest in London last week. There are some amazing creative recipes so keep your eyes peeled, and if you’ve not tried Gold of Mauritius or it’s sister product Mauritius Club yet, I highly recommend both!
Halloween Cocktail Menus – The Right Way
Not got your menu in place yet for this week’s halloween festivities? we’ll give you the run down on how to give your cocktail menu a halloween make over with very little effort – find our full guide to the smart way to create themed cocktail menus here.
Newsjacking to Promote Your Bar.
This week saw Back to the Future Day breaking Facebook – EVERYONE was talking about it, os of course working in an 80s bar we really took advantage of it and made the most of it to get attention on social media. We talk a little about how you can harness trending topics to get more traffic to your social accounts and therefore more bodies through the door. For more details on bar, restaurant and nightclub marketing take a look at our interview with Louie La Vella from a few weeks back here.

Want the BartenderHQ Podcast as soon as its released each week? Subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher Smart Radio]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean13:101983BartenderHQ Questions & Answers Podcasthttp://bartenderhq.com/bartenderhq-questions-answers-podcast/
Sun, 04 Oct 2015 22:24:43 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1951<p>On this week’s show we’re answering questions left on our voicemail service by Dean Patel. I’m hanging out in the garden and we’re talking about the Fridays Recipe Manual and if you can get your hands on one, along with the alternatives. Get my practice sheet with the perfect layout for writing out and learning […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/bartenderhq-questions-answers-podcast/">BartenderHQ Questions & Answers Podcast</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s show we’re answering questions left on our voicemail service by Dean Patel. I’m hanging out in the garden and we’re talking about the Fridays Recipe Manual and if you can get your hands on one, along with the alternatives.
I’m hanging out in the garden and we’re talking about the Fridays Recipe Manual and if you can get your hands on one, along with the alternatives.
Get my practice sheet with the perfect layout for writing out and learning cocktails here:
Dean has some great ideas about flair practice for flair bartenders which we discuss at length too.
We talk about the TIPS certification in the US, its relevance to the UK and the closest equivalents, and how to protect your flair routines and moves.
Support the show by downloading a FREE audio book at Audible:
Audible is the perfect way to consume books if you don’t have time to read or you don’t have the mindset to just sit down with a book. I recommend the Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart and BartenderHQ readers and listeners can get a free audiobook with a 30 day free membership by clicking the link below:http://bartenderhq.com/audible

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean23:151951Personality in Flair Bartendinghttp://bartenderhq.com/personality-in-flair-bartending/
Tue, 29 Sep 2015 21:26:55 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1944<p>On this week’s podcast we’re going deep on old school vs new school flair competition and where the personality has gone. Back in my day… When I first started flair bartending the competitions to win were Legends of Bartending and Quest, both in the US and both incorporating showmanship and technical skills as well as […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/personality-in-flair-bartending/">Personality in Flair Bartending</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s podcast we’re going deep on old school vs new school flair competition and where the personality has gone. Back in my day… When I first started flair bartending the competitions to win were Legends of Bartending and Quest,
Back in my day…
When I first started flair bartending the competitions to win were Legends of Bartending and Quest, both in the US and both incorporating showmanship and technical skills as well as the exhibition flair which is still ubiquitous today.
Bartenders were forced to actually know the skills needed behind the bar and not just the working and exhibition flair moves in isolation from the real world of working bartenders.
Vanilla Flair?
Today the flair competitions in general have becomes so specialised that competitors don’t really need to have ever stepped behind a bar to be a winner at these competitions – the skills needed can be practiced in isolation from the actual discipline of bartending, and even those who do still work behind the mahogany have to focus so hard on the incredibly technical moves that many of them will never have tried bar bets, magic tricks and the like with their guests.
If you don’t do it behind the bar…
…is it still flair bartending, or does it just become bottle flipping. Surely the bartending part of it is derived from tending to the guests at a bar, not just a default name because your particular juggling act is performed with bottles and shaker tins.
Basically, for me, if you don’t do it for your paying guests at the bar, you’re wasting your time learning this and calling it bartending.
Maybe I’m completely wrong, and if I am, you need to tell me about it! Let me know in the comments.

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean13:071944Bourbon Flavoured Vodka? BartenderHQ Podcasthttp://bartenderhq.com/bourbon-flavoured-vodka-bartenderhq-podcast/
Sun, 20 Sep 2015 14:30:22 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1933<p>On this week’s show: The No Podcast Podcast Its been a crazy week so the podcast I had planned I’m putting off till next week as its a great topic and needs the time it deserves… More on that later! Everyone Loves Craft Flair Bartending Last week’s podcast on Craft Flair Bartending went viral and […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/bourbon-flavoured-vodka-bartenderhq-podcast/">Bourbon Flavoured Vodka? BartenderHQ Podcast</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s show: The No Podcast Podcast Its been a crazy week so the podcast I had planned I’m putting off till next week as its a great topic and needs the time it deserves… More on that later! Everyone Loves Craft Flair Bartending Last week’s pod...
The No Podcast Podcast
Its been a crazy week so the podcast I had planned I’m putting off till next week as its a great topic and needs the time it deserves… More on that later!
Everyone Loves Craft Flair BartendingLast week’s podcast on Craft Flair Bartending went viral and got shared all over the place, if you haven’t seen it, go check it out now! We take a look at a move that Ryan Clayton (who competed at Masters of Flair) created at the Pie & Ale in Manchester. Its great that people are already using the term Craft Flair Bartending now, as I think I actually created the term on last week’s show. Let me know if you’ve heard it elsewhere before that as I don’t mind being corrected!
The Confused Vodka that thinks it’s Bourbon Whiskey
Absolut have released a vodka which is rested in oak barrels, Oak by Absolut. With a flavour similar to a Bourbon, it’s a really interesting that this is something Absolut are trying out. We’ve not tried it yet, but I’m looking forward to giving it a go!
The Joys of Small Bartending Teams
Just a quick reminder that when you work as a part of a small team, it makes a huge impact when you have anyone call in sick for work! With a team of 6 due to work at the club last night, having a bartender and bar back not able to get in and no cover available makes a huge impact, that’s ⅓ of the team missing on a Saturday night. Of course, sometimes its unavoidable, but it does make life harder for those who do make it in to work (who by the way did a stellar job!).
Next week – Personality in Flair Competitions
We’ll be talking about the old school competitions where bartenders wore crazy outfits and used confetti cannon, while today its more about technical and precise moves. Is it more entertaining for our customers now or are we tailoring our routines to showcase skill in a way that can only really be appreciated by other bartenders? Let me know your thoughts.

Want the BartenderHQ Podcast as soon as its released each week? Subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher Smart Radio.
Join The Flair Project at http://TheFlairProject.com]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean7:271933The Rise of Craft Flair Bartendinghttp://bartenderhq.com/craft-flair-bartending/
Sun, 13 Sep 2015 08:24:27 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1914<p>On this weeks show we’re looking at how the art of flair bartending is making a huge comeback behind premium bars and how you can be at the forefront of this trend. Over the past few years, while flair has still flourished in the competition scene with the moves getting consistently harder and more technical, […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/craft-flair-bartending/">The Rise of Craft Flair Bartending</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Why competition flair bartending is getting further from what actually happens behind the bar, and how we can fix it.
Over the past few years, while flair has still flourished in the competition scene with the moves getting consistently harder and more technical, seeing real world working flair to a good standard in the wild seems to have declined. Of course there are some brands, most notably in the UK TGI Friday’s which have always promoted the skill of their bartenders, and as I see it helped to retain their skilled bartenders with their excellent Bartender Challenge which has gone from strength to strength over the years.
TGI Friday’s Bartender Challenge 2015
The UK final of the Bartender challenge in fact took place this week in Liverpool, with Russell Ward taking the top spot once again and securing a place at the World Championships in the USA later in the year. All the best to Russell with his training and we’ll try to get him on the show soon, we tried last year too but couldn’t work out the dates.
BartenderHQ Podcast is One Year Old
On that subject, the BartenderHQ Podcast is now just over a full year old! We launched the podcast as audio only back on September 10th 2014 and I think we’ve only missed one or two weeks since then. Of course over the year while I’ve been learning more about the tech side of things we’ve added the video recordings to YouTube, we’ve had a few interviews (which I must say are my favourite episodes) with the guys from A Bar Above’s Mixology Talk podcast, Brian from the Bartender Journey podcast, Roadhouse World Flair Champion Tom Dyer, Russell Davis from the Bar Rescue TV show with Jon Taffer and Louie La Vella the Nightlife Marketing expert.
Its been an awesome year and we’ll be doing even more great stuff in the coming years – coming up soon I have guests scheduled from one iconic brand in the spirits space, another from a brand new spirit brand where we’ll talk about how he created his own spirit from scratch and much more.
The Flair Project

We also launched the Flair Project a couple of months ago, our crowdsourcing project to create a flair routine from moves submitted by bartenders all over the world. I entered the first competition of the project a few weeks back, the Masters of Flair and took the honour of Best of the Midlands, so look out for The Flair Project kicking into high gear next month as my change in job lets me spend far more time on both BartenderHQ and The Flair Project.
I’m still looking for more submissions, so if you want to help out and be a part of The Flair Project, shoot your video, don’t worry about the quality, smartphone footage is absolutely fine, just please make sure its landscape! Then drop me an email with a link on David@BartenderHQ.com and you’ll be a part of it!
The Rise of Craft Flair Bartending
There have been videos going pretty viral on Facebook of a guy by the name of Evgeniy Shashin who has an amazing style with his flair, in a style that I’m calling “Craft Flair Bartending”. Its really paired back and has all the huge showy moves taken out in preference of small, incredibly precise jigger bumps, spoon flourishes, nesting of shaker and cheater tins and super accurate pours.
In a second video, you’ll see him performing 8 short and sweet moves with pairs of shakers and cheater tins, each unique and almost impossible to follow. Its a kind of stealth flair that if you were in the bar relaxing and talking to ...]]>David Scooby Sangwell, Bar Trainer, Flair Bartender and Cocktail Guru. The Flair Projectclean10:191914Building Tension in Flair Bartendinghttp://bartenderhq.com/building-tension-in-flair-bartending/
Sun, 06 Sep 2015 23:02:52 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1890<p>In this week’s podcast I discuss how you can use suspense in creating a flair bartending routine for competitions to draw your crowd in and make them more emotionally invested in your performance. Following the Masters of Flair bartending competition where I won Best in the Midlands, I identified a few reasons behind the success, […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/building-tension-in-flair-bartending/">Building Tension in Flair Bartending</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>In this week’s podcast I discuss how you can use suspense in creating a flair bartending routine for competitions to draw your crowd in and make them more emotionally invested in your performance. Following the Masters of Flair bartending competition w...
Following the Masters of Flair bartending competition where I won Best in the Midlands, I identified a few reasons behind the success, as well as the areas I can easily adjust to improve my score.
My flair bartending routine was very much based around the bottle and tin combo with a few extras mixed in which we’ll come to later. I should be able to increase my score substantially by incorporating more of the moves I can already perform with multiple objects, though this entry was quite last minute and not really prepared for as I would like.
On the plus side, as usual I had very few drops and the judges commented on the smoothness of my performance. I think I had 2 drops in the routine, plus one after the end of the time which I don’t think counts in a 6 minute routine plus the big ass move segment. That its pretty rare, even at the highest level.

Admittedly, at the highest level the moves are far more challenging, but the point is that you should be flairing within your ability. Working the bar last night I was flairing for five hours.
Total drops? Two. In five hours.
If you’re dropping bottles and tins all the time on shift, you’re trying to do stuff you’re not ready to do behind the bar and you’re making flair bartenders look bad as a group. The bar is not the place to be learning new moves, that should be done in your own time and your own space.
Why should Flair Bartending competitions be any different?
Then we move on to the subject of tension – you can draw in your audience by adding tension, as I did at Masters of Flair at a few points – the Martini glass balance on the forehead, blindfold flair and throwing full drinks over my shoulder.
These points where it could all go horribly wrong are just the thing to engage your audience, in the same way you can’t take your eyes off the TV when a formula one car is flying through the air towards a tyre wall or the police intercepters are chasing down the bad guys – you HAVE to know how it turns out!
Links in this week’s Podcast

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean14:391890Masters of Flair, Tip Theft and More!http://bartenderhq.com/masters-of-flair-tip-theft-and-more/
Sun, 30 Aug 2015 12:08:17 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1876<p>We’re back with the podcast 🙂 This week we’re talking about… Restaurants taking money from their staff In the UK news this week there have been a number of restaurants called out for not just taking a cut from employees gratuities as has been reported in the past, but Las Iguanas have been reported to […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/masters-of-flair-tip-theft-and-more/">Masters of Flair, Tip Theft and More!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>We’re back with the podcast 🙂 This week we’re talking about… Restaurants taking money from their staff In the UK news this week there have been a number of restaurants called out for not just taking a cut from employees gratuities as has been reported ...
This week we’re talking about…
Restaurants taking money from their staff
In the UK news this week there have been a number of restaurants called out for not just taking a cut from employees gratuities as has been reported in the past, but Las Iguanas have been reported to be taking a percentage of the sales made by each member of the team at the end of their shifts too as reported here:http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/aug/23/restaurant-tipping-policy-forces-waiters-to-pay-to-workLas Iguanas have released a statement on this, refuting the accusation, however they acknowledge that a percentage of tips made are taken to share between the staff in the form of rewards and incentives.
If this is indeed the case, I genuinely don’t think its a better situation. They are essentially funding their incentive scheme out of the pockets of their employees and then expecting a thank you – Las Iguanas – you’re a big company, if you want to give incentives, then pay for them yourselves. Its not ok to take money from the staff who keep you in business and then decide how you want to give it back to them if they’re good.
Las Iguanas are not the only bar being called out for being unfair with tips, but it does seem what they’re doing is worse than the more typical, yet still not ok ‘Admin charges’ that others levy on credit card gratuities.
What do you think about this? Let us know on the Facebook page.
Masters of Flair 2015
Last weekend saw the Masters of Flair competition which I hosted with the West Midlands Flair Club and I was delighted to win “Best of the Midlands UK” for my routine. Congratulations to all the other bartenders too, especially Andre Lenes who retained the Masters of Flair crown.
Big Changes
I’ve changed my day job and will be far more involved in bars for more of the time. That also means I’ll have access to a bar for filming any time and I’ll be releasing my first flair bartending course very soon – make sure you’re signed up for our newsletter to be the first to know when its available (and you’ll get my 10 killer cocktails eBook free when you join!). I’ll be randomly selecting some of the subscribers to get early FREE access to the course before the launch, so get signed up today 🙂

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean13:551876Organising a piss up in a Breweryhttp://bartenderhq.com/organising-a-piss-up-in-a-brewery/
Sun, 16 Aug 2015 22:42:12 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1827<p>On this week’s mini show: How to organise a piss up in a brewery We spent the weekend over at the Batemans Brewery in Skegness for a friend’s wedding. It’s a beautiful old complex of buildings centred around the tower of the old windmill, now lacking its sails but no less iconic. The bar built […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/organising-a-piss-up-in-a-brewery/">Organising a piss up in a Brewery</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>We visit the Batemans Brewery in Lincolnshire, Prepare for Masters of Flair and upcoming Angostura and Minus-33 interviews.
How to organise a piss up in a brewery
We spent the weekend over at the Batemans Brewery in Skegness for a friend’s wedding. It’s a beautiful old complex of buildings centred around the tower of the old windmill, now lacking its sails but no less iconic. The bar built into the tower’s round base is a particular highlight.
I think I managed to try nearly every beer on offer and was even given a few mixed beers straight from the hand pump which really change the flavours. I personally recommend their Black Pepper brew which is served with more ground peppercorns to add to taste.
Masters of Flair prep
No show next Sunday as I’ll be hosting and competing but you can watch the competition live on uStream (details and a link will be posted on our Facebook page and Twitter as soon as they’re available).
As I’m competing now keep an eye out for practice videos this week – I have all the bottles I need now (I could use a few more Stoli but I can manage) so keep your eyes peeled.
I’ll also be aiming to interview the competitors at the competition and get as much video as I can from the Masters of Flair so keep your eyes on BartenderHQ.com over the next week or so!
Upcoming Podcasts
Over the next few weeks I’ll be talking to Sean Duprey from Angostura Bitters and Rums and Samuel Trett from (Minus)-33 and Loca Lab Distilling. If you have a question you’d like to ask either of them just let me know as soon as possible! 🙂
Be Social
Don’t forget to join us on the usual social channels:

]]>David Sangwell, Flair Bartender, Cocktail Mixologist and Bar Trainier.clean9:441827Flair in the Dark & Metrognome Musichttp://bartenderhq.com/flair-in-the-dark-metrognome-music/
Sun, 09 Aug 2015 13:03:24 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1817<p>On this week’s show: Soju – The world’s best selling spirit Taste Test Soju is the world’s best selling liquor, and yet few people in the West at least have heard of it! It sold over 61million cases in 2014, and we’re taking a taste on this week’s show. Bacardi Carta Fuego Taste Test We […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/flair-in-the-dark-metrognome-music/">Flair in the Dark & Metrognome Music</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s show: Soju – The world’s best selling spirit Taste Test Soju is the world’s best selling liquor, and yet few people in the West at least have heard of it! It sold over 61million cases in 2014,
Soju – The world’s best selling spirit Taste TestSoju is the world’s best selling liquor, and yet few people in the West at least have heard of it! It sold over 61million cases in 2014, and we’re taking a taste on this week’s show.
Bacardi Carta Fuego Taste Test
We broke the news a few months ago about Bacardi’s brand refresh with their new logos and bottles, and the Bacardi Carta Fuego has finally arrived in bars – I take a taste with Dave from the West Midlands Flair Club at Reflex Arcadian and give you our thoughts.
MetroGnome’s iPhone & Breaking Bad Remixes
The music I’ve chosen for Masters of Flair (and possibly further in the Flair Project) is two remixes by MetroGnome (@itsmetrognome), the iPhone Remix and the Breaking Bad remix. You can find MetroGnome on SoundCloud and have a listen to all the tracks. Thanks to MetroGnome for permission to use the tracks and the support!
Flair in the Dark and Blindfolded Flair
I wrote a piece this week on flairing while blindfolded, and today I’ve shot some footage of flairing in almost pitch black with bright lights shining in my eyes – the blindfold skills come in very handy when you can’t really see much of anything, the situation you may often be in with competitions or any kind of flair exhibition work.

Want the BartenderHQ Podcast as soon as its released each week? Subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher Smart Radio.
Join The Flair Project at http://TheFlairProject.com]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean17:031817Cocktails & Zombies – 6am Flair Bartending and ScareTrackhttp://bartenderhq.com/cocktails-zombies-6am-flair-bartending-and-scaretrack/
Sun, 02 Aug 2015 08:03:30 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1797<p>On this week’s show: ScareTrack Podcast The guys over at ScareTrack podcast got in touch early in July and asked if I’d arrange some video for their monthly podcast with a horror themed drink. I met Colin from the show a couple of years ago being a Zombie with him at the 2.8 hours later […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/cocktails-zombies-6am-flair-bartending-and-scaretrack/">Cocktails & Zombies – 6am Flair Bartending and ScareTrack</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s show: ScareTrack Podcast The guys over at ScareTrack podcast got in touch early in July and asked if I’d arrange some video for their monthly podcast with a horror themed drink. I met Colin from the show a couple of years ago being a Zom...
ScareTrack Podcast
The guys over at ScareTrack podcast got in touch early in July and asked if I’d arrange some video for their monthly podcast with a horror themed drink. I met Colin from the show a couple of years ago being a Zombie with him at the 2.8 hours later citywide game in Birmingham UK, and we got on great, so I was only to happy to oblige.
Check out the full recipe for the ScareTrack Zombie here, including alternatives for some of the less common ingredients so everyone can make it! Find ScareTrack on Facebook here.
Masters of Flair V
Masters of Flair is taking place on Sunday 23rd of August 2015 at Reflex Arcadian in Birmingham. In addition to comparing as last year I will also now be entering the competition, so check out this week’s show to hear where it differs from Roadhouse which will be the aim of The Flair Project in terms of the routine, rules and that Big Ass Move!
Be Social
Don’t forget to join us on the usual social channels:

]]>David Sangwell, Bartender HQ & ScareTrackclean17:471797Hardcore Flair Training – Are You Putting In the Work?http://bartenderhq.com/hardcore-flair-training-are-you-putting-in-the-work/
Sun, 26 Jul 2015 08:53:10 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1782<p>Expanding on my article about Flair Training like a Body Builder, I’m discussing how to get the best out of your flair practice. Setting goals for your flair bartending, not simply so that you can measure the outcomes but so you know what you actually want to achieve beyond ‘improvement’ will drastically increase your rate […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/hardcore-flair-training-are-you-putting-in-the-work/">Hardcore Flair Training – Are You Putting In the Work?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Discover the secrets of Flair Bartending Training that will take your performance to the next level!Flair Training like a Body Builder, I’m discussing how to get the best out of your flair practice.
Setting goals for your flair bartending, not simply so that you can measure the outcomes but so you know what you actually want to achieve beyond ‘improvement’ will drastically increase your rate of acquiring new moves and sequences.
Its far too easy to call picking up a bottle and tin and casually throwing them around ‘Training’, something I’ve been guilty of myself in the past, but with The Flair Project picking up pace, I need personally to focus on getting the improvements I need in my skills, and planning practice properly will certainly help with that.
The Flair Project
This week’s contribution to The Flair Project comes from Sunny Chana, a stall which is performed palm up! If you’d like to submit a move to The Flair Project, join us over at TheFlairProject.com or tweet it with the hashtag #TheFlairProject
Video Guidelines
Vertical Video Syndrome is a menace we all have to work together to face – play your part and hold your phone the right way around!

]]>David Sangwell, Cocktail Mixologist, Flair Bartender & Bar Trainerclean13:361782Roadhouse Flair Rules, Brugal & 86 Company Flair & Drunk Tech Reviewhttp://bartenderhq.com/roadhouse-flair-rules-brugal-86-company-flair-drunk-tech-review/
Sun, 19 Jul 2015 22:57:37 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1756<p>On this week’s podcast: Drunk Tech Review We’re featuring Drunk Tech Review on Youtube – hilarious videos featuring the latest tech reviewed by a bunch of friends playing drinking games. You get really honest reviews as a result and these guys don’t pull punches! NSFW, but lets be honest, most of us don’t work in […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/roadhouse-flair-rules-brugal-86-company-flair-drunk-tech-review/">Roadhouse Flair Rules, Brugal & 86 Company Flair & Drunk Tech Review</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s podcast: Drunk Tech Review We’re featuring Drunk Tech Review on Youtube – hilarious videos featuring the latest tech reviewed by a bunch of friends playing drinking games. You get really honest reviews as a result and these guys don’t pu...
Drunk Tech Review
We’re featuring Drunk Tech Review on Youtube – hilarious videos featuring the latest tech reviewed by a bunch of friends playing drinking games. You get really honest reviews as a result and these guys don’t pull punches! NSFW, but lets be honest, most of us don’t work in your average office!
Brugal & 86 Company bottles from a Flair Bartender’s perspective
We put the latest Brugal bottle style complete with it’s net covering through its paces in flair bartending, followed by the 86 company’s bottle (as you would buy Aylesbury Duck vodka, Fords Gin, Cana Brava Rum or Tequila Cabeza) with surprising results!
The Flair Project
Roadhouse Rules Breakdown
We delve deep into the Roadhouse Flair rulebook to work out where the points are, how to maximise your score and find those neglected areas where the smart bartenders can boost their placing without learning new moves! Check out our previous article on improving your score in competition here. If you’d like to read along as we break down the rules you can find the pdf here.

If you want to learn more or get involved in The Flair Project, check out the full details here
Want the BartenderHQ Podcast as soon as its released each week? Subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher Smart Radio

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean29:111756Imbibe Live & The Flair Projecthttp://bartenderhq.com/imbibe-live-the-flair-project/
Sun, 12 Jul 2015 19:01:08 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1730<p>Imbibe Live 2015 June 29th & 30th 2015 saw Imbibe Live take over the Kensington Olympia venue in London. With a huge number of exhibitors from craft distilleries to distributors and multinational brands, it was the perfect place to make connections in the drinks industry. With multiple classes for those wanting to expand their knowledge […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/imbibe-live-the-flair-project/">Imbibe Live & The Flair Project</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Imbibe Live 2015 June 29th & 30th 2015 saw Imbibe Live take over the Kensington Olympia venue in London. With a huge number of exhibitors from craft distilleries to distributors and multinational brands, it was the perfect place to make connections in ...
June 29th & 30th 2015 saw Imbibe Live take over the Kensington Olympia venue in London. With a huge number of exhibitors from craft distilleries to distributors and multinational brands, it was the perfect place to make connections in the drinks industry.
With multiple classes for those wanting to expand their knowledge in various areas in addition to the finals of Sommeliers vs Bartenders and the opportunity to sample hundreds of different spirits, wines and beers, Imbibe Live is an amazing opportunity for bartenders and bar owners alike to learn more.
The Flair Project
The Flair Project is being launched on today’s BartenderHQ podcast. With the help of bartenders from around the world I’m intending to enter the Roadhouse World Flair competition in 2016.
What makes The Flair Project unique is that I’m crowd sourcing the routine, so I’m looking for bartenders to submit moves that I’ll include in the routine for the competition. You’ll then be featured in the final video too alongside the routine.
If you want to learn more or get involved in The Flair Project, check out the full details here
Want the BartenderHQ Podcast as soon as its released each week? Subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher Smart Radio

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean14:121730Nightlife Marketing Guru Louie La Vella’s Top 5 Tipshttp://bartenderhq.com/nightlife-marketing-guru-louie-la-vellas-top-5-tips/
Sun, 05 Jul 2015 09:00:23 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1704<p>On this week’s show – Louie La Vella – Nightlife Marketing Guru! Louie will get more people through the doors of your bar and make you more money – so listen up! We discuss a variety of nightlife marketing topics for bars, restaurants and nightclubs, whether you have a large social following or you want to […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/nightlife-marketing-guru-louie-la-vellas-top-5-tips/">Nightlife Marketing Guru Louie La Vella’s Top 5 Tips</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s show – Louie La Vella – Nightlife Marketing Guru! Louie will get more people through the doors of your bar and make you more money – so listen up! We discuss a variety of nightlife marketing topics for bars, restaurants and nightclubs,
Louie will get more people through the doors of your bar and make you more money – so listen up! We discuss a variety of nightlife marketing topics for bars, restaurants and nightclubs, whether you have a large social following or you want to build one, there are tips inside this video and podcast for you!
The interview ends with the bullets of the top 5 tips, but there’s great information throughout!http://louielavella.com
You can find Louie La Vella on Facebook and his Facebook Page for Nightlife Marketing. On Twitter he’s at @LouieLaVella, Instagram and YouTube (Check out his interview with Lady Gaga!)
Want the BartenderHQ Podcast as soon as its released each week? Subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher Smart Radio

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean30:101704Restaurant & Bar Jobs – What’s right for you?http://bartenderhq.com/restaurant-and-bar-jobs-whats-right-for-you/
Sun, 28 Jun 2015 12:23:31 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1687<p>On this week’s podcast we’re taking a look at restaurant and bar jobs, how they interact and what’s right for you. Finding the perfect restaurant and bar jobs If you’re aiming to follow a career in the hospitality business and looking for restaurant and bar jobs, this is an episode you can’t miss! From bussers and […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/restaurant-and-bar-jobs-whats-right-for-you/">Restaurant & Bar Jobs – What’s right for you?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s podcast we’re taking a look at restaurant and bar jobs, how they interact and what’s right for you. Finding the perfect restaurant and bar jobs If you’re aiming to follow a career in the hospitality business and looking for restaurant an...
Finding the perfect restaurant and bar jobs
If you’re aiming to follow a career in the hospitality business and looking for restaurant and bar jobs, this is an episode you can’t miss!
From bussers and bar backs to waiters and bartenders, right up to management, where do you fit into the restaurant and bar jobs market and what should be your next step? Find out here!
In the UK The Caterer is a great source for industry jobs and getting a feel for what potential employers are looking for.
When putting together your resume or CV for an industry position, take a look at our guide!

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean16:151687The Art of the Service Bar and älska cidershttp://bartenderhq.com/the-art-of-the-service-bar-and-alska-ciders/
Sun, 21 Jun 2015 18:37:52 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1666<p>On this week’s show: älska cider Available at Aldi in the UK, älska cider is a great tasting flavoured pear cider that offers real value. Check out the full podcast for our first taste of älska cider’s Nordic Fruits and Strawberry & Lime varieties. It’s the perfect easy drinking compliment to any summer BBQ or pool party! […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/the-art-of-the-service-bar-and-alska-ciders/">The Art of the Service Bar and älska ciders</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s show: älska cider Available at Aldi in the UK, älska cider is a great tasting flavoured pear cider that offers real value. Check out the full podcast for our first taste of älska cider’s Nordic Fruits and Strawberry & Lime varieties.
älska cider

Available at Aldi in the UK, älska cider is a great tasting flavoured pear cider that offers real value. Check out the full podcast for our first taste of älska cider’s Nordic Fruits and Strawberry & Lime varieties. It’s the perfect easy drinking compliment to any summer BBQ or pool party!
The Art of the Service Bar
I go into a bit of detail about the differences between Service bar (or Dispense Bar) techniques vs regular guest service, how to set your bar up for success and how to manage the volumes of drinks you’ll be making while looking after up to 20 waiters’ drinks. If you have any questions or you’d like more clarification, leave me a voicemail message here.
Want your product featured?
If you have a product you’d like reviewed or featured on the podcast, or you have a press release about Spirts, Cocktails or anything else bar related, get in touch with the show here.

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean20:201666Automated Bars and Protecting your Flair Gearhttp://bartenderhq.com/automation-bars-flair-gear/
Sun, 14 Jun 2015 07:45:47 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1629<p>On this week’s BartenderHQ podcast: HomeKit in Bars Following up on this week’s article and the WWDC15 conference, we discuss how HomeKit can allow you to create atmosphere in your bar using home automation products and your iOS devices (iPad, iPhone etc) to control them. From VIP rooms to securing your stock, we discuss the […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/automation-bars-flair-gear/">Automated Bars and Protecting your Flair Gear</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s BartenderHQ podcast: HomeKit in Bars Following up on this week’s article and the WWDC15 conference, we discuss how HomeKit can allow you to create atmosphere in your bar using home automation products and your iOS devices (iPad,
HomeKit in Bars
Following up on this week’s article and the WWDC15 conference, we discuss how HomeKit can allow you to create atmosphere in your bar using home automation products and your iOS devices (iPad, iPhone etc) to control them. From VIP rooms to securing your stock, we discuss the options.
Taking care of your gear
A look at how to identify your own gear behind the bar and not loose your flair bottles, how to transport your flair bottles and shakers to and from work and avoid loosing the weights off of your tins.

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean14:551629Podcast 36 Mauritius Club, UBC Results & World Flair Associationhttp://bartenderhq.com/podcast-36-mauritius-club-ubc-results-world-flair-association/
Sun, 07 Jun 2015 10:11:04 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1597<p>On this week’s show: First taste of Mauritius Club & Gold of Mauritius Mauritius Club and Gold of Mauritius rums landed with me this week and they’re both delicious. Check out my first thoughts on the show and keep an eye out for more videos with new drinks featuring these soon! The Dead Parrot wins Monkey […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/podcast-36-mauritius-club-ubc-results-world-flair-association/">Podcast 36 Mauritius Club, UBC Results & World Flair Association</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>First taste of Gold of Mauritius & Club Rums, Monkey Shoulder Challenge winners & World Flair Association & Masters of Flair info.
First taste of Mauritius Club & Gold of MauritiusMauritius Club and Gold of Mauritius rums landed with me this week and they’re both delicious. Check out my first thoughts on the show and keep an eye out for more videos with new drinks featuring these soon!
The Dead Parrot wins Monkey Shoulder’s Ultimate Bartender Challenge
This week saw Monkey Shoulder‘s Ultimate Bartender Challenge 2015 final, with three bar teams competing from around the UK from Newcastle, Bristol and Horsham. The Dead Parrot from Horsham took this year’s honours (find the full report from the Ultimate Bartender Challenge here) and as their prize will have a pop-up bar for London Cocktail Week, funded by Monkey Shoulder and they get to keep the takings!
West Midlands Flair Club & Masters of FlairWest Midlands Flair Club is every Sunday night from 8-10pm at Reflex Arcadian in Birmingham UK – All are welcome whether you want to learn more about flair, give it a try or polish your skills and share moves with others.Masters of Flair V for 2015 will be held at Reflex Arcadian on Sunday August 23rd 2015. Get in touch through the contact form if you’re interested in entering. We’ll be raising money for charity on the night as usual by auctioning off the drinks made on stage by the bartenders, raffles etc. Full details to be announced soon.
World Flair Association
The World Flair Association is a global network brought together by four giant names in the World of Flair, who felt there was a need in promoting & assisting different countries in their events by sharing their combined experiences gained by being heavily involved within the Flair and the service industry in general.

On the show we talk about the gradings levels for flair bartenders offered by the association as well as a little about their involvement with helping to promote competition and consistency in judging.

]]>David Scooby Sangwell, Flair Bartender, Mixologist & Bar Trainerclean14:091597Brass Pig Burgers & Swally Shirts – Podcast 35http://bartenderhq.com/brass-pig-burgers-swally-shirts-podcast-35/
Sun, 31 May 2015 12:28:29 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1545<p>On this weeks’ show: Swally Shirts My Swally Shirts ‘Dark Side of the Malt’ arrived and I love it. Check out their other designs on SwallyShirts.com and follow them on Twitter. Their T-shirts are great quality and feel like they will last – I can’t wait to see their other designs as they’re released. They […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/brass-pig-burgers-swally-shirts-podcast-35/">Brass Pig Burgers & Swally Shirts – Podcast 35</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this weeks’ show: Swally Shirts My Swally Shirts ‘Dark Side of the Malt’ arrived and I love it. Check out their other designs on SwallyShirts.com and follow them on Twitter. Their T-shirts are great quality and feel like they will last – I can’t wai...
Swally Shirts
My Swally Shirts ‘Dark Side of the Malt’ arrived and I love it. Check out their other designs on SwallyShirts.com and follow them on Twitter.
Their T-shirts are great quality and feel like they will last – I can’t wait to see their other designs as they’re released. They have men’s and women’s styles too, so everyone can represent their love of Whisky!
The Brass Pig Southport
During our weekend away we ended up eating at The Brass Pig on a couple of occasions because it was SO GOOD! ½lb Steak burgers form the base of their sandwiches which are then piled high with homemade ingredients by the Brass Pig’s owners Edward and Kate Weights.
On our first visit to the Brass Pig I had the BBQ Beast, and Jo had ‘The Veg’ (which, though i’m not veggie, was pretty awesome) and we shared their amazing Cheesy fries which are also huge.
Our Sunday Brass Pig Adventure meant that I could sample the Sunday Beast, a whole Sunday Lunch pearched on top of the Brass Pig steak burger patty! Jo opted for the BBQ beast that I’d had the previous day, and we added both the cheesy fries again and also their Jalapeño nachos. We had no chance of finishing it all but we gave it our best!
If you’re ever in Southport you have to check out the Brass Pig, and if you’re not… Plan a trip!Find the Brass Pig on FacebookBartenderHQ on FacebookWorldwide Bartender CommunityBartenderHQ on Twitter

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean8:271545Podcast 34 How to Make Molecular Mojitoshttp://bartenderhq.com/podcast-34-how-to-make-molecular-mojitos/
Sun, 24 May 2015 08:58:45 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1468<p>On this week’s BartenderHQ.com Podcast we’re delving into the murky world of Molecular Mixology, specifically a Molecular Mojito. What is a Molecular Mojito? Molecular Mixology is a way of taking high end cooking techniques from Molecular Gastronomy and applying them to cocktails. We’re taking the core ingredients of a Mojito and playing around with some […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/podcast-34-how-to-make-molecular-mojitos/">Podcast 34 How to Make Molecular Mojitos</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s BartenderHQ.com Podcast we’re delving into the murky world of Molecular Mixology, specifically a Molecular Mojito. What is a Molecular Mojito? Molecular Mixology is a way of taking high end cooking techniques from Molecular Gastronomy an...
What is a Molecular Mojito?
Molecular Mixology is a way of taking high end cooking techniques from Molecular Gastronomy and applying them to cocktails. We’re taking the core ingredients of a Mojito and playing around with some science lab techniques to essentially repackage the drink. In this case, we’re wrapping a shot of Mojito and a mint leaf in its own skin, so that no glass is required.
Its a very odd experience, but you put the Mojito ball into your mouth and bite it, bursting the skin and suddenly your mouth is filled with Molecular Mojito!
How do you make a Molecular Mojito?
The technique used is called reverse frozen spherification and essentially you make a Mojito, add one of the special ingredients and freeze it in an ice cube tray. Then, once frozen, the cubes are dropped into a bath of water with a second molecular ingredient added, which reacts with the first to create a gel skin over the cube, so as the ice melts you have a soft Molecular Mojito capsule!
These techniques can be used for many other recipes too, keep your eyes peeled for more soon!
Links in the show:Molecular Mixology Kit UnboxingWorldwide Bartender CommunityBartenderHQ on Twitter

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean13:371468Podcast 33: Monkey Shoulder Am-Badass-ador Interview (and Party!)http://bartenderhq.com/podcast-33-monkey-shoulder-am-badass-ador-interview-and-party/
Sun, 17 May 2015 10:40:13 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1443<p>Okay, I know. I talk about Monkey Shoulder a lot on here. Its because I think Monkey Shoulder is great. I got a bottle for Christmas from my partner and a lovely engraved whisky glass to drink it out of from my then 6 month old son (which I think Jo may have had a […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/podcast-33-monkey-shoulder-am-badass-ador-interview-and-party/">Podcast 33: Monkey Shoulder Am-Badass-ador Interview (and Party!)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Okay, I know. I talk about Monkey Shoulder a lot on here. Its because I think Monkey Shoulder is great. I got a bottle for Christmas from my partner and a lovely engraved whisky glass to drink it out of from my then 6 month old son (which I think Jo ma...a blog over at DogBehaviourHQ.Wordpress.com, you can probably see I helped name it, but check it out if you have a dog, she’s awesome!) with my Dad. I really like Monkey Shoulder.
I was invited to help with judging their Ultimate Bartender Challenge but sadly we couldn’t make the dates work (next time Monkey Shoulder, next time…) so I was delighted when they invited me down to their Monkey Shoulder Social Club Aerodynamic party this week in London.
The Monkey Shoulder Social Club
The Aerodynamic party was born from their Am-Badass-ador Grant Neave going skydiving and then building a whole party based on that concept. Guests were issued with flight suits at the door, and then passed through a cloud tunnel, walking through clouds so dense you could barely see the person in front of you, to simulate the experience of ferruling through clouds but without getting into a plane. That would obviously get in the way of the drinking and up the budget of the event considerably.
Competition Winners
We ran a competition over on Twitter to win tickets for the event too, and I was lucky enough to meet our winners on the night – they had a great time and if you want the chance to win in our future competitions, or even just want to chat, follow @BartenderHQ on Twitter.
Thanks
I’d just like to thank the guys at Monkey Shoulder for their hospitality – Grant, you’re a legend, Tiffany, (my contact with the brand) Thanks for the invite – you guys put on a great event and I can’t wait for the next one!
LinksMonkeyShoulder.comBartenderHQ on FacebookWorldwide Bartender CommunityBartenderHQ on Twitter

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean13:051443Podcast 32: Bacardi Legacy, Monkey Shoulder & Communityhttp://bartenderhq.com/podcast-32-bacardi-legacy-monkey-shoulder-community/
Sun, 10 May 2015 20:56:26 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1406<p>On this week’s show: Monkey Shoulder Social Get the full details on where the party is, when its happening and where to get tickets here Worldwide Bartender Community on Facebook Join the conversation on our open group. You can promote your bar, share recipes or ask for advice from the other bartenders. Be sure to […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/podcast-32-bacardi-legacy-monkey-shoulder-community/">Podcast 32: Bacardi Legacy, Monkey Shoulder & Community</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s show: Monkey Shoulder Social Get the full details on where the party is, when its happening and where to get tickets here Worldwide Bartender Community on Facebook Join the conversation on our open group. You can promote your bar,
Monkey Shoulder Social
Get the full details on where the party is, when its happening and where to get tickets here
Worldwide Bartender Community on Facebook
Join the conversation on our open group. You can promote your bar, share recipes or ask for advice from the other bartenders. Be sure to add your co-workers so we can get this group to as many people as possible!
Ask Me AnythingWith our new system, you can use the mic in your Smartphone or computer to ask us anything, just like leaving a voicemail. The best questions will get featured on a future podcast!
Bacardi Legacy Winner Announced
So the Bacardi Legacy is over for another year, and we discuss whether the current format of the competition encourages real world drinks or is too friendly to overly bespoke creations.
Be Social
Find BartenderHQ on social media at:

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean16:021406Podcast 31: Molecular Mixology, Monkey Shoulder & Tasting Clubshttp://bartenderhq.com/podcast-31-molecular-mixology-monkey-shoulder-tasting-clubs/
Sun, 03 May 2015 22:50:46 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1385<p>On this week’s show… Molecular Mixology Cocktail R-Evolution kit This week we received the Cocktail R-Evolution kit via amazon. Want to take a look at our unboxing video? Check it out below: http://bartenderhq.com/molecular-mixology-kit-cocktail-r-evolution-unboxing/ Monkey Shoulder Social Club Do you want to party in London with Monkey Shoulder (and hopefully the BartenderHQ team!)? Jump down to […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/podcast-31-molecular-mixology-monkey-shoulder-tasting-clubs/">Podcast 31: Molecular Mixology, Monkey Shoulder & Tasting Clubs</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s show… Molecular Mixology Cocktail R-Evolution kit This week we received the Cocktail R-Evolution kit via amazon. Want to take a look at our unboxing video? Check it out below: http://bartenderhq.
Molecular Mixology Cocktail R-Evolution kit
This week we received the Cocktail R-Evolution kit via amazon. Want to take a look at our unboxing video? Check it out below:http://bartenderhq.com/molecular-mixology-kit-cocktail-r-evolution-unboxing/
Monkey Shoulder Social Club
Do you want to party in London with Monkey Shoulder (and hopefully the BartenderHQ team!)? Jump down to the link below to get your tickets to the Monkey Shoulder Social and for the chance to win a pair of tickets!http://bartenderhq.com/the-monkey-shoulder-social-club-aerodynamic-party/
How to start a Tasting Club
Twitter follower @InebriatiOrder asked us a question for the show:

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean12:191385Podcast 30: Whisky Shirts, Facebook Groups & Tastemadehttp://bartenderhq.com/podcast-30-whisky-shirts-facebook-groups-tastemade/
Mon, 27 Apr 2015 08:01:00 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1330<p>On this week’s show: Swally Shirts Swally Shirts is a Glasgow-based t-shirt design company specialising in whisky and other drink-related t-shirts. The designs are fun and simple, giving fans of good quality drinks a way of showing their love of their favourite tipple. We currently have whisky and beer designs but there are many more […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/podcast-30-whisky-shirts-facebook-groups-tastemade/">Podcast 30: Whisky Shirts, Facebook Groups & Tastemade</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s show: Swally Shirts Swally Shirts is a Glasgow-based t-shirt design company specialising in whisky and other drink-related t-shirts. The designs are fun and simple, giving fans of good quality drinks a way of showing their love of their ...
Swally Shirts
Swally Shirts is a Glasgow-based t-shirt design company specialising in whisky and other drink-related t-shirts. The designs are fun and simple, giving fans of good quality drinks a way of showing their love of their favourite tipple.

We currently have whisky and beer designs but there are many more in the pipeline covering all kinds of drinks. Our latest design, Dark Side of the Malt, is a Pink Floyd-themed play on their classic album cover and is available to preorder now.

SwallyShirts.com
Tastemade
Tastemade is an all digital network of food and drink content from around the world with short form restaurant reviews, content on craft cocktails and tips you can use at home.

Their Local Flight show follows a mixology bartender, Shawn Thomas as he visits cities around the US and challenges local bartenders to create cocktails using locally made ingredients.

You can see Tastemade content on Apple TV, or via their Tastemade & Tastemade City Guide apps, and at Tastemade.com
Avengers Age of Ultron Cocktails
While there are literally hundreds of cocktails online themed after comic book characters, we’re taking a different approach to celebrate the release of Avengers Age of Ultron. Instead of colour matching drinks, we’re looking at the character of each Avenger and choosing, modifying and creating cocktails that they would enjoy. Based on their tastes and values, this is far closer to the way a real bartender approaches creating cocktails for real guests, and I hope you enjoy them!

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean14:381330Podcast 28: New Bacardi Bottles & Drinking Abroad.http://bartenderhq.com/podcast-28-new-bacardi-bottles-drinking-abroad/
Sun, 19 Apr 2015 20:12:10 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1297<p>We’re Back! We finally have our hands on the new Bacardi bottles, and they’re great! We put them through their paces with a little flair, take a look at the changes and how they might affect you behind the bar, and how to order the new Bacardi bottles from your supplier if you want them […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/podcast-28-new-bacardi-bottles-drinking-abroad/">Podcast 28: New Bacardi Bottles & Drinking Abroad.</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>We’re Back! We finally have our hands on the new Bacardi bottles, and they’re great! We put them through their paces with a little flair, take a look at the changes and how they might affect you behind the bar,
We finally have our hands on the new Bacardi bottles, and they’re great! We put them through their paces with a little flair, take a look at the changes and how they might affect you behind the bar, and how to order the new Bacardi bottles from your supplier if you want them behind your bar.

Bacardi Carta Blanca – New Bacardi Bottles
The new shape Bacardi bottles are a little taller, about 10mm or a half inch taller than the previous generation of bottles. The sides are almost completely flat, getting rid of the old tapered base, and adding a concave bottom to the bottle like that of a wine bottle.
The Bacardi Superior name is gone outside of the US, replaced by Bacardi Carta Blanca with the rest of the line following suit with Bacardi Carta Negra, Bacardi Carta Oro and Bacardi Carta Fuego. These names better show the heritage of Bacardi and its Cuban background.
Need to get your hands on the new Bacardi bottle? Bacardi Carta Negra is available right now on Amazon.
Drinking Overseas
Having just spent a week over in Benidorm, I discuss some of the differences between British & US drinking culture compared to Spain, as well as sharing some of the best places to drink in Benidorm if you’re after a good cocktail.]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean1297How to Film Flair Routines – Podcast 27http://bartenderhq.com/how-to-film-flair-routines-podcast-27/
Mon, 06 Apr 2015 22:40:12 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1272<p>Flair Bartenders love to share videos of their skills, and rightly so, Flair Bartending is a very visual and dynamic art and there are few ways more effective to communicate it than with video. However, all too often the videos are shaky bedroom footage on the lowest quality setting with either background music recorded through […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/how-to-film-flair-routines-podcast-27/">How to Film Flair Routines – Podcast 27</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>How to video Flair Bartending Routines without the expensive equipment
On the show
In this week’s podcast we look at how to film on a budget using items you already have, such as smartphones while keeping the quality of the video as high as possible while taking a look at the new Bartender HQ (work in progress) studio.
If you have any questions please feel free to email or tweet me, and I’ll do my best to help!
Learn Flair
Also on this show, how to learn the Stall – catching a bottle on the back of your hand!

]]>David Sangwell (Scooby), 15 year bartender with experience at TGI Fridaysclean12:501272Learn to Flair – 5 reasons why Every Bartender Should!http://bartenderhq.com/learn-to-flair-5-reasons-why-every-bartender-should/
Sun, 29 Mar 2015 17:43:08 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1224<p>So on this week’s podcast we’re talking Flair Bartending and why you should learn to flair! As you’ll probably know, I’ve been flair bartending since right at the beginning of my time behind the bar, from flipping ice cubes into glasses at my first nightclub to taking a national second place with TGI Fridays a […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/learn-to-flair-5-reasons-why-every-bartender-should/">Learn to Flair – 5 reasons why Every Bartender Should!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>So on this week’s podcast we’re talking Flair Bartending and why you should learn to flair! As you’ll probably know, I’ve been flair bartending since right at the beginning of my time behind the bar, from flipping ice cubes into glasses at my first nig...
As you’ll probably know, I’ve been flair bartending since right at the beginning of my time behind the bar, from flipping ice cubes into glasses at my first nightclub to taking a national second place with TGI Fridays a few years ago. Find out on today’s show why you should learn to flair bartend in your own bar and what it can do for you.
5 Reasons to Learn to Flair

* Its an instant way to show you care about what you do. So many bartenders are just there to make a little cash on the side, but being a performance flair bartender makes you stand out immediately as someone who takes pride in their work.
* It’s visual and crosses language barriers and noisy environments. Because of the nature of flair bartending, it works regardless of whether people can hear or understand you, so its perfect for busy and loud nightclubs as well as large crowds.
* Travel – Flair Bartending opens doors for travel like nothing else – if you can demonstrate your flair bartending you will have little trouble finding work in resorts all around the world – I’ve worked in Dubai and Kavos with my flair bartending, recruited for Dubai because of it and got a job instantly in Kavos by showing what I could do.
* It doesn’t slow you down. When you learn to flair properly and understand where it fits within good quality service. Using your flair bartending skills appropriately will keep your service quick, yet allow for you to really show your moves when you have quieter times at the bar.
* You’ll keep your guests at the bar longer. Guests will have a much better time in the bar when you’re entertaining them than they will if you’re simply placing a drink in front of them, taking their money and then doing nothing they benefit from until you want more of their money. Your flair, even when serving other guests, entertains everyone at the bar.

]]>David Sangwell, Flair Bartender and Cocktail Trainerclean1224Flair Bartender Training: Ben & Shannon’s Storyhttp://bartenderhq.com/flair-bartender-training/
Sun, 22 Mar 2015 16:25:07 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1190<p>I’ve spent this weekend training new flair bartenders at Reflex Arcadian in Birmingham. Flair Bartender Training is a little different from training bartenders in general, as the way the bartenders move is critical to their work. In this week’s podcast I discuss their first week’s training, down to the level of how to hold bottles […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/flair-bartender-training/">Flair Bartender Training: Ben & Shannon’s Story</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>I’ve spent this weekend training new flair bartenders at Reflex Arcadian in Birmingham. Flair Bartender Training is a little different from training bartenders in general, as the way the bartenders move is critical to their work.
In this week’s podcast I discuss their first week’s training, down to the level of how to hold bottles for accuracy of pouring and reducing spillages. Next week their actual training in flair moves begins and will be a thread running through the next few podcasts.
If you’re interested in Flair Bartender Training and would like to learn the moves along with Ben & Shannon, check out our YouTube channel where the moves will be posted this week as they’re filmed.
Free Flair Kit for Flair Bartender Training
Want your own FREE Flair kit? Assemble your own equipment with this free guide and you’ll be able to practice all the flair moves and routines
Where to get the feed
Want the BartenderHQ podcast in your podcast feed every week as soon as it’s published. You can find the Bartender HQ podcast on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/bartender-hq-podcast-bar-culture/id917852999?mt=2) or Stitcher Radio (http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/bartenderhq/bartender-hq-podcast-bar-culture-cocktails-and-flair-bartending)]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean1190Russell Davis from Bar Rescue, interview part 2http://bartenderhq.com/russell-davis-from-bar-rescue-interview-part-2/
Sun, 15 Mar 2015 12:00:48 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1166<p>Here’s the second part of my conversation with Russell Davis from Spike TV’s Bar Rescue. In this part we discuss much more about Russell’s thoughts on bartending and its future. Also discussed on this show, how Russell assesses a bar as he walks in for the first time, causing controversy with Old Fashioneds, the bar’s […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/russell-davis-from-bar-rescue-interview-part-2/">Russell Davis from Bar Rescue, interview part 2</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Here’s the second part of my conversation with Russell Davis from Spike TV’s Bar Rescue. In this part we discuss much more about Russell’s thoughts on bartending and its future. Also discussed on this show,
Also discussed on this show, how Russell assesses a bar as he walks in for the first time, causing controversy with Old Fashioneds, the bar’s he’d love to sit at, his desert island cocktail and much much more.
So sit back, grab an Old Fashioned (no cherry…) and enjoy the show!

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean23:261166Russell Davis from Bar Rescue on the Podcast!http://bartenderhq.com/russell-davis-from-bar-rescue-on-the-podcast/
Sun, 08 Mar 2015 22:02:07 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1157<p>On this week’s BartenderHQ podcast, I’m talking to Russell Davis from Spike TV’s Bar Rescue about everything from Cocktails in Space to some of his other projects he’s looking into with other Bar Rescue personalities like Chef Brian Duffy and Ryan from Top Chef. Russell’s experience as a Nightclub & Bar Bartender of the year […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/russell-davis-from-bar-rescue-on-the-podcast/">Russell Davis from Bar Rescue on the Podcast!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s BartenderHQ podcast, I’m talking to Russell Davis from Spike TV’s Bar Rescue about everything from Cocktails in Space to some of his other projects he’s looking into with other Bar Rescue personalities like Chef Brian Duffy and Ryan from...
Russell’s experience as a Nightclub & Bar Bartender of the year and years running bar consultancy over at UnlimitedLiabilities.com just go to prove the caliber of Bar Rescue’s team, and to those who think its just about the TV show, these guys are the real deal and there’s a lot to learn from the show!
Find Russell on Facebook & Twitter.

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean16:491135Serving Drinks Faster In Your Bar: Podcast 21http://bartenderhq.com/serving-drinks-faster-in-your-bar-podcast-21/
Sun, 15 Feb 2015 17:33:25 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1090<p>On this week’s Bartender HQ Podcast, we talk about how to get the drinks out as fast as possible behind the bar and the tools you need to do it! The Bar Blade Holster from Barproducts.com The Pourer Popper from Barblades.com Electronic Lighters (from your local store) Tom Dyer TD105 30 Speed Pourers (from www.dangerousdyer.co.uk […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/serving-drinks-faster-in-your-bar-podcast-21/">Serving Drinks Faster In Your Bar: Podcast 21</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s Bartender HQ Podcast, we talk about how to get the drinks out as fast as possible behind the bar and the tools you need to do it! The Bar Blade Holster from Barproducts.com The Pourer Popper from Barblades.The Bar Blade Holster from Barproducts.com
The Pourer Popper from Barblades.com
Electronic Lighters (from your local store)
Tom Dyer TD105 30 Speed Pourers (from www.dangerousdyer.co.uk on Facebook)Balisong Butterfly Knife Beer openerShaker tins from Barproducts.com
Articles on BartenderHQHow to Multiserve at the barSetting your station for success
Drink of the WeekTGI Friday’s Mr Grey Screaming Orgasm
Tips for TipsTaking photos for your guests from 199 Ways to increase your Tips by Scott Young]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean13:541090Breathalysers, Raise The Bar & Bacardi Bottleshttp://bartenderhq.com/breathalysers-raise-the-bar-bacardi-bottles/
Sun, 08 Feb 2015 22:16:37 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1069<p>On this week’s Bartender HQ Podcast: AlcoBlow is rolled out in Birmingham Birmingham clubbers can now be breath checked for their alcohol level before being admitted to nightspots in the city, with blowing more than twice the drink drive limit meaning you could be refused entry. What do you think? Tell us on Facebook! Bacardi […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/breathalysers-raise-the-bar-bacardi-bottles/">Breathalysers, Raise The Bar & Bacardi Bottles</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s Bartender HQ Podcast: AlcoBlow is rolled out in Birmingham Birmingham clubbers can now be breath checked for their alcohol level before being admitted to nightspots in the city, with blowing more than twice the drink drive limit meaning ...
AlcoBlow is rolled out in Birmingham
Birmingham clubbers can now be breath checked for their alcohol level before being admitted to nightspots in the city, with blowing more than twice the drink drive limit meaning you could be refused entry. What do you think? Tell us on Facebook!
Bacardi redesign their bottles
Probably the most popular bottle amongst flair bartenders is changing shape. Is it for the best, or have they ruined the most flippable bottle in the world for all of us performers? Let us know your thoughts on Facebook!
Raise The Bar by John Taffer
I’ve learnt a lot from a first casual listen to this audiobook (on Amazon Raise the Bar: An Action-Based Method for Maximum Customer Reactions) and it’s well worth a listen whether you’re a bar owner, manager, or just starting out as a bartender. I’m giving a copy away, you just need to tell me on Facebook why I should give it to you!
Tips For Tips
I’ve talked before about having everything your guest forgot so you can fill their needs, but today’s is specifically about phone chargers, so make sure you can charge all the major brands and your guests will really appreciate it!
Drink of the WeekClassic Sidecar. Full recipe details here!]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean14:361069Why “10 things your bartender hates” articles are BULL!http://bartenderhq.com/why-10-things-your-bartender-hates-articles-are-bull/
Sun, 01 Feb 2015 22:03:11 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1043<p>On this week’s show I tell you why I think the vast majority of “Reasons you piss off your bartender” articles are rubbish and simply excuses for not doing our jobs properly! Here’s the article I’m going though if you want to read along with me (its just like a kids book for story time!). […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/why-10-things-your-bartender-hates-articles-are-bull/">Why “10 things your bartender hates” articles are BULL!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s show I tell you why I think the vast majority of “Reasons you piss off your bartender” articles are rubbish and simply excuses for not doing our jobs properly! Here’s the article I’m going though if you want to read along with me (its ju...
Here’s the article I’m going though if you want to read along with me (its just like a kids book for story time!).
Mentioned in this section:6 Tips to become a multi serving Jedi10 Ways to get served faster at the bar
Also on this show:
Tips for Tips: Working as a team with the other bartenders and wait staff in your bar.
Drink of the Week: Ginger Jack]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean26:4010435 Lessons from Jon Taffer’s Bar Rescuehttp://bartenderhq.com/5-lessons-from-jon-taffers-bar-rescue/
Sun, 25 Jan 2015 23:17:03 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=1018<p>Jon Taffer describes himself repeatedly on Bar Rescue as one of the world’s best bar consultants, and that seems pretty accurate. His track record speaks for itself, and you can tell by watching the show that he really knows what he’s looking for. He surrounds himself with some of the best experts in the industry, […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/5-lessons-from-jon-taffers-bar-rescue/">5 Lessons from Jon Taffer’s Bar Rescue</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Jon Taffer describes himself repeatedly on Bar Rescue as one of the world’s best bar consultants, and that seems pretty accurate. His track record speaks for itself, and you can tell by watching the show that he really knows what he’s looking for.
Jon Taffer describes himself repeatedly on Bar Rescue as one of the world’s best bar consultants, and that seems pretty accurate. His track record speaks for itself, and you can tell by watching the show that he really knows what he’s looking for. He surrounds himself with some of the best experts in the industry, and gets results. Here are a few lessons we can all learn from Jon Taffer and apply in our own bars.
1: Learn to Pour Accurately
Regardless of whether you free pour or use jiggers, the amount leaving the bottle should match the recipe and it should all end up in the drink, not on the bar top or in the drip tray. Learn to pour accurately, cut cleanly and make sure the guest gets the value they’re paying for while the bar doesn’t use more stock than it needs to.
2: Keep it Simple
Sprawling and overly complex menus for both food and drinks make your product harder to produce consistantly, increase stock holding and can slow service, as well as confusing the guest with more options than they can handle. Think like Apple, choose the best options for your customers and only feature those to reduce option fatigue.
3: Take Pride in Cleanliness
Every bar should be clean and safe to work in, so look at your bar from the guest’s perspective as well as ripping apart the insider to combat fruit flies, stickiness and worse… as seen on almost every episode of Bar Rescue! (Steve Darwin’s guest post on cleaning)
4: Don’t hire your family or friends
Hiring someone you already have a relationship with makes any potential issues down the line if they don’t perform well really hard to handle, so make sure you hire on merit in the first place. You’re allowed to like the team you work with, but remember you’re running a business not a charity!
5: Stack orders to reduce workload
Taking multiple orders means you can effectively make less drinks, just larger drinks. You cut time at every stage by grabbing multiple beers, blending and shaking multiple cocktails and generally looking pretty badass (see this article on becoming a multi-serving Jedi!)
Get Jon Taffer’s book at the link below… Highly recommended!

* Restaurants/Bars with a kitchen: Sell food – slows alcohol absorption rates.
* Talk about preventing hangovers and give free waters with drinks – slows their drinking and WILL reduce the hangover!
* Recruit their friends – Get them on your side and they’ll manage them out the door
* Using security the right way – too often they try to be intimidating – at the club I work they’re more like hosts, take photos for guests etc but are there when you need them.

Why is Bartending seen as an entry level job in the UK?
Jo From Reflex

* Comparatively low expectations of Guests.
* Prioritisation of price over quality, so cheap drinks often win out over quality mixed drinks.
* Low skill requirement for the production and serving of 90% of drinks.

Favour: Please share the podcast with one person who you think would benefit from it – email a link, tell your colleagues,

The Bartender Gift Guide has been updated, check out our choices of items from Amazon for yourself or a bartender friend!

Drink of the Week: The Godfather]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean24:44972Podcast 16, An Interview with Tom Dyerhttp://bartenderhq.com/podcast-16-an-interview-with-tom-dyer/
Sun, 11 Jan 2015 12:07:09 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=953<p>On this week’s podcast I was lucky enough to speak to Tom Dyer. Tom Dyer is the Roadhouse World Flair Champion for 2014, Gradings Co-ordinator for the World Flair Association, creator of the TD105-30 pour spout and all round great guy. We talk about Tom’s first steps in flair bartending, how he first got involved […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/podcast-16-an-interview-with-tom-dyer/">Podcast 16, An Interview with Tom Dyer</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s podcast I was lucky enough to speak to Tom Dyer. Tom Dyer is the Roadhouse World Flair Champion for 2014, Gradings Co-ordinator for the World Flair Association, creator of the TD105-30 pour spout and all round great guy.
We talk about Tom’s first steps in flair bartending, how he first got involved and what it means to him now. We talk about some of his favourite bars, he mentions the true beauty of the Pina Colada, and discuss some of his influences.
Find more from Tom at the following links:
Twitter: @TomDyerBar10der
Instagram: tomdyerbartender
Facebook: www.dangerousdyer.co.uk

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean24:52953Podcast 15 – The January Blueshttp://bartenderhq.com/podcast-15-the-january-blues/
Sun, 04 Jan 2015 21:07:29 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=918<p>Welcome back – You’ve survived Christmas! January can be very quiet, but you should have been plenty busy over Christmas and New Year so its the perfect time to invest in yourself and your career to make 2015 even better! On this week’s show: ABarAbove’s Cocktail Design Courses ABarAbove’s excellent courses on Understanding Cocktail Components […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/podcast-15-the-january-blues/">Podcast 15 – The January Blues</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Welcome back – You’ve survived Christmas! January can be very quiet, but you should have been plenty busy over Christmas and New Year so its the perfect time to invest in yourself and your career to make 2015 even better!
January can be very quiet, but you should have been plenty busy over Christmas and New Year so its the perfect time to invest in yourself and your career to make 2015 even better!
On this week’s show:
ABarAbove’s Cocktail Design Courses
ABarAbove’s excellent courses on Understanding Cocktail Components and Mixology 101 – Get more information on these great courses here.
Adding Value
While the bar is quiet you have lots of time to learn and practice some value adds for your guests:
Magic
David Penn’s Street Magic Secrets 2 DVD set is a great starting point for even the complete beginner, but contains magic strong enough that working professionals use some of these effects even today! (Full disclosure, I work in the retail department at World Magic Shop, but I don’t earn a commission on these sales). Ships worldwide. If you’re a little more advanced, check out Doc Eason’s Bar Magic set, available for instant download, also at World Magic Shop. This is the gold standard for bar magic but assumes a little more knowledge.
Flair
If you’ve never flaired before, now is a great time to start! It might be cold outside for practice, but you can practice a lot of the skills you’ll need indoors without the risk of breaking or damaging anything your home. Check out this Flair 101 post from earlier in the year and get this down, and I’ll be bringing way more flair lessons this year!
Bar Bets
YouTube is full of bar bets that you can use to make the most of quiet nights at the bar. You can give these puzzles to your guests at the bar to solve, safe in the knowledge that 99% of them will fail, and if someone actually does win? Buy them a beer and see if they have one for you! If they know the solution to one they most likely know a lot, and you can learn too! Check out Scam School on YouTube for a great selection, including this one we featured last year.
Mixology
If you’re not one for the show and you’re all about the quality, that’s great too. Spend some time looking through some great books and educate yourself on some of the latest techniques in bartending. I just got my copy of Liquid Intelligence from Amazon yesterday and I’m already inspired from a quick flick through the pages. I have some new equipment on the way, but more on that later. If you’ve not read this book yet, I suggest you add it to your wish list, or treat yourself today!
Drink of the Week
Blushin’ Russian, a variation on the White Russian:

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean918Brian Weber from Bartender Journeyhttp://bartenderhq.com/podcast-14-with-brian-weber-from-bartender-journey/
Thu, 18 Dec 2014 16:30:12 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=900<p>On this week’s podcast I interview Brian Weber from the Bartender Journey podcast. Bartender Journey We talk about Tales of the Cocktail, making drinks for Dale DeGroff, how Brian became a podcasting bartender and his job as a food & beverage manager in New York. You should check out Brian’s podcast and website over at […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/podcast-14-with-brian-weber-from-bartender-journey/">Brian Weber from Bartender Journey</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s podcast I interview Brian Weber from the Bartender Journey podcast. Bartender Journey We talk about Tales of the Cocktail, making drinks for Dale DeGroff, how Brian became a podcasting bartender and his job as a food & beverage manager ...
Bartender JourneyWe talk about Tales of the Cocktail, making drinks for Dale DeGroff, how Brian became a podcasting bartender and his job as a food & beverage manager in New York.
You should check out Brian’s podcast and website over at BartenderJourney.net
Bartender Journey is the official podcast of Tales of the Cocktail!
Find BartenderJourney on iTunes and on Stitcher Radio

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean25:29900Wetherspoon, Rusty Nail & Flair Practice.http://bartenderhq.com/bartenderhq-com-podcast-13-wetherspoon-christmas-flair-practice/
Thu, 11 Dec 2014 22:46:08 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=875<p>Wetherspoons end contract with Heineken Thanks to Stuart Aitken for the additional information – find the post with the full details on our Facebook page. Bartender Journey Podcast teaser Brian Webber from the Bartender Journey Podcast will be joining me in the near future, check out his podcast at BartenderJourney.net Surviving the holiday season behind […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/bartenderhq-com-podcast-13-wetherspoon-christmas-flair-practice/">Wetherspoon, Rusty Nail & Flair Practice.</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Wetherspoons end contract with Heineken Thanks to Stuart Aitken for the additional information – find the post with the full details on our Facebook page. Bartender Journey Podcast teaser Brian Webber from the Bartender Journey Podcast will be joining ...
Thanks to Stuart Aitken for the additional information – find the post with the full details on our Facebook page.
Bartender Journey Podcast teaser
Brian Webber from the Bartender Journey Podcast will be joining me in the near future, check out his podcast at BartenderJourney.net
Surviving the holiday season behind the bar
Christmas is just around the corner which means working longer hours, later closes and busier shifts. I share my top 10 tips to survive the busy shifts and stay out of the weeds.
Creating your Flair Practice Zone
Grab yourself anti-fatigue floor matting from any hardware store for a fraction of the price of bar bounce mats and create your own practice zone. The article on a Free Flair Training Kit is here.
Drink of the Week – Rusty Nail

* 1½oz (45ml) Scotch Whisky
* ¾oz (22.5ml) Drambuie

Serve in a rocks glass with ice and garnish with a lemon twist.
Tips for Tips
Choosing one mixed shooter per shift and actively selling it to everyone you can. It’ll improve your sales and if you sell a few cement the recipe in your mind forever!

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean22:17875Best Bar None, Virgin Drinks & Roadhouse Flair!http://bartenderhq.com/podcast-12-best-bar-none-virgin-drinks-roadhouse-flair/
Thu, 04 Dec 2014 22:18:59 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=844<p>Best Bar None Birmingham See the competitors here – We Won! Reflex Arcadian is Birmingham’s Best Nightclub – It’s official! Non-alcoholic Drinks Are you neglecting the needs of those who choose not to drink alcohol? With drinker numbers falling, what are you doing to make your bar a destination regardless of people’s personal preference about […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/podcast-12-best-bar-none-virgin-drinks-roadhouse-flair/">Best Bar None, Virgin Drinks & Roadhouse Flair!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Best Bar None Birmingham See the competitors here – We Won! Reflex Arcadian is Birmingham’s Best Nightclub – It’s official! Non-alcoholic Drinks Are you neglecting the needs of those who choose not to drink alcohol? With drinker numbers falling,
See the competitors here – We Won! Reflex Arcadian is Birmingham’s Best Nightclub – It’s official!
Non-alcoholic Drinks
Are you neglecting the needs of those who choose not to drink alcohol? With drinker numbers falling, what are you doing to make your bar a destination regardless of people’s personal preference about drinking? Full article on Non-Alcoholic Drinks Here.
Roadhouse & Tom Dyer
The Roadhouse World Flair is still the premier flair bartending competition in the UK and one of the best in the world, and this year, Tom Dyer has taken the top spot for the UK! Check out his website DangerousDyer.co.uk and The Roadhouse’s online home here. See the Tom Dyer Roadhouse Final winning routine below!

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean15:39844Competitions, Christmas & Concierge.http://bartenderhq.com/bartenderhq-podcast-11-competitions-christmas-concierge/
Thu, 27 Nov 2014 18:00:10 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=830<p>On this week’s BartenderHQ Podcast: Mixology Talk Podcast Gave out their “5 More things your bartender wishes you knew” on their latest show (check them out) and we add another into the mix, a way to train your guests to save you time! How competition between bartenders drives standards. Having internal or company wide bartending […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/bartenderhq-podcast-11-competitions-christmas-concierge/">Competitions, Christmas & Concierge.</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s BartenderHQ Podcast: Mixology Talk Podcast Gave out their “5 More things your bartender wishes you knew” on their latest show (check them out) and we add another into the mix, a way to train your guests to save you time!
Mixology Talk Podcast
Gave out their “5 More things your bartender wishes you knew” on their latest show (check them out) and we add another into the mix, a way to train your guests to save you time!
How competition between bartenders drives standards.
Having internal or company wide bartending competition and shows improves many aspects including staff retention through their feeling of value, ensuring they know recipes, pour accuracy, service and much more.
Christmas drinks and drink menus
How to create them and the merits of bespoke menus vs modified drinks.
Drink of the week: Spiced Sangria
A great alternative to mulled wine with a christmassy edge –

Tips for Tips
Knowing your local area and becoming a concierge service for your guests.

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean24:10830Vermouth, Robot Bartenders & Bar Shoeshttp://bartenderhq.com/podcast-10-vermouth-robot-bartenders-bar-shoes/
Wed, 19 Nov 2014 23:32:28 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=815<p>Mixology Talk Podcast I’m the guest on this week’s Mixology Talk podcast from ABarAbove.com, check out the episode here for my Dubai stories and how to get started in Flair Bartending Vermouth Preservation Most vermouths you will find in bars have gone bad by the time you drink them, check this article for why it […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/podcast-10-vermouth-robot-bartenders-bar-shoes/">Vermouth, Robot Bartenders & Bar Shoes</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Mixology Talk Podcast I’m the guest on this week’s Mixology Talk podcast from ABarAbove.com, check out the episode here for my Dubai stories and how to get started in Flair Bartending Vermouth Preservation Most vermouths you will find in bars have gone...
I’m the guest on this week’s Mixology Talk podcast from ABarAbove.com, check out the episode here for my Dubai stories and how to get started in Flair Bartending
Vermouth Preservation
Most vermouths you will find in bars have gone bad by the time you drink them, check this article for why it happens and how to reduce the problem: SeriousSeats.com
Bartender Shoes
What to wear for best results behind the bar, and do you need these $150 Bartender Sneakers? No. These Dunlop Mens Footwear Kansas Safety Shoes are all you need to avoid slips and protect those feet behind the bar. You can’t bartend fast on crutches… (Thanks to Steve Darwin for the better option!) Here’s Steve’s article he wrote us by the way! http://bartenderhq.com/bar-cleanliness/
Robotic Bartending- Royal Caribbean
Can robots really replace bartenders on board ship? At least they don’t suffer from hangovers…

Turtle Bay Birmingham Review
Filled with promise but ultimately slow service probably cost them a new regular. Such a shame. Full review is here.
Drink of the WeekAbout That Thyme, as made in 101 Marina, One & Only The Palm, Dubai
Tips for Tips
Being fully stocked with whatever your bar is missing and your guests want. Fill in the blanks and rake in the cash with this one, listen for full details!
The Promised Flair Video!

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean21:45815Manchester Flair, 24 hour Aged Whiskey & Cocktail Masterclasshttp://bartenderhq.com/episode9/
Thu, 06 Nov 2014 19:00:30 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=776<p>On the BartenderHQ Podcast this week: Manchester Flair Social: If you’re a flair bartender in Manchester, get in touch with Ryan Clayton via the Fresh Flair page on Facebook for full details, and share moves with bartenders from across the city. In the news this week: Calorie content of drinks (BBC Article) What are your […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/episode9/">Manchester Flair, 24 hour Aged Whiskey & Cocktail Masterclass</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On the BartenderHQ Podcast this week: Manchester Flair Social: If you’re a flair bartender in Manchester, get in touch with Ryan Clayton via the Fresh Flair page on Facebook for full details, and share moves with bartenders from across the city.
Manchester Flair Social:
If you’re a flair bartender in Manchester, get in touch with Ryan Clayton via the Fresh Flair page on Facebook for full details, and share moves with bartenders from across the city.
In the news this week: Calorie content of drinks
(BBC Article) What are your thoughts while this could make sense for packaged drinks, will we soon need to add nutritional information to our Cocktail menus? Would this benefit your customers?
Ageing spirits on the fly
3 year old Whiskey in 24 hours. How does it work? Check out the podcast for details. See the Kickstarter here (Now closed)

Cocktail Masterclasses
Missed in episode 7 from the headline! This is how you can make more money as a bartender or a bar owner from your bar earlier in the evening – Do you want to know more than I covered in the podcast? Just ask!
Pisco Sour
A modern classic. Full recipe is here.
Tips 4 tips
Keeping the bartop tidy to maximise your tips and why it works!

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean18:05776Chris and Juila from Mixology Talk!http://bartenderhq.com/bartender-hq-podcast-episode-8-with-mixology-talk/
Thu, 30 Oct 2014 23:13:58 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=759<p>On this week’s podcast I talk to Chris & Julia Tunstall from the Mixology Talk Podcast and ABarAbove.com. Mixology Talk We talk about how they came to talk about bartending, what they cover on their show and what they choose to order when they find a new bar to drink in! Find them on Twitter @abarabove […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/bartender-hq-podcast-episode-8-with-mixology-talk/">Chris and Juila from Mixology Talk!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s podcast I talk to Chris & Julia Tunstall from the Mixology Talk Podcast and ABarAbove.com. Mixology Talk We talk about how they came to talk about bartending, what they cover on their show and what they choose to order when they find a ...Mixology Talk Podcast and ABarAbove.com.
Mixology Talk
We talk about how they came to talk about bartending, what they cover on their show and what they choose to order when they find a new bar to drink in! Find them on Twitter @abarabove and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABarAboveMixology
Also on the show, the Liquid Bubblegum shooter (find the recipe for this and 5 more in my Shooters you must know article)
Tips 4 Tips – How to keep your regulars happy and coming back time and time again.
Don’t forget to leave us a review in iTunes to help other people find the podcast, I really appreciate it if you can find the time to do that!

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean18:05759Magic, Flair Competitions, Juggling and Sour Apple Pie!http://bartenderhq.com/podcast-episode-7-magic-flair-competitions-jugglers-and-sour-apple-pie/
Thu, 23 Oct 2014 20:00:41 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=740<p>On this week’s BartenderHQ.com Podcast: Back in the Office …and Back to work – using Magic behind the bar. – Doc Eason Bar Magic Set, Review coming soon! Improve your Score in Flair Bartending Competition I go through some of the main points that will improve your score at a flair competition without learning new […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/podcast-episode-7-magic-flair-competitions-jugglers-and-sour-apple-pie/">Magic, Flair Competitions, Juggling and Sour Apple Pie!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s BartenderHQ.com Podcast: Back in the Office …and Back to work – using Magic behind the bar. – Doc Eason Bar Magic Set, Review coming soon! Improve your Score in Flair Bartending Competition I go through some of the main points that will ...
Back in the Office
…and Back to work – using Magic behind the bar. – Doc Eason Bar Magic Set, Review coming soon!
Improve your Score in Flair Bartending Competition
I go through some of the main points that will improve your score at a flair competition without learning new crazy moves to do it see the full article here.

Flair Vs Juggling
What defines flair bartending from juggling, what is workable behind the bar and what can you do to walk the line.
Home brew project -Update – Preparation
Cocktail masterclasses
Tips 4 tips

Offering the next drink early – ¼ to ⅓ full
Sour Apple Pie

* 1oz Green Apple Liquer
* 1oz Bols Natural Yoghurt
* top w/ lemonade

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]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean21:42740Cider Farm, Family Bars and Brandshttp://bartenderhq.com/podcast-episode-6-cider-farms-family-bars-and-brands/
Thu, 16 Oct 2014 20:00:55 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=730<p>On this week’s Bartender HQ Podcast Rich’s Cider Farm museum Free flair bartender kit from Bartender HQ.com. You’re welcome! Coming Soon: Home brew project – we discover hands on how beers, wines and cider are made by doing it ourselves! Family bars, and how to be awesome if you work in one! Tips 4 tips: Embracing your […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/podcast-episode-6-cider-farms-family-bars-and-brands/">Cider Farm, Family Bars and Brands</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>On this week’s Bartender HQ Podcast Rich’s Cider Farm museum Free flair bartender kit from Bartender HQ.com. You’re welcome! Coming Soon: Home brew project – we discover hands on how beers, wines and cider are made by doing it ourselves! Family bars,
Rich’s Cider Farm museumFree flair bartender kit from Bartender HQ.com. You’re welcome!
Coming Soon: Home brew project – we discover hands on how beers, wines and cider are made by doing it ourselves!
Family bars, and how to be awesome if you work in one!

Tips 4 tips: Embracing your brand
Why you should be the true embodiment of the brand you work for, and how it will make you more money!
Drink Recipe
Green eyes

* 1 ¼oz Vodka
* ¾oz Blue Curaçao
* 3oz Orange juice

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean14:04730Podcast Episode 5: Halloween Menus, Competition Flair and More!http://bartenderhq.com/episode5/
Thu, 09 Oct 2014 19:00:14 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=718<p>Thanks for joining me for episode 5! In this week’s show: Halloween Menus I talk about how to create a Halloween cocktail menu for your bar and the pros and cons of bespoke menus vs modified menus, (more here in my article on custom menus the right way!) I mention the article that has gone […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/episode5/">Podcast Episode 5: Halloween Menus, Competition Flair and More!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Thanks for joining me for episode 5! In this week’s show: Halloween Menus I talk about how to create a Halloween cocktail menu for your bar and the pros and cons of bespoke menus vs modified menus, (more here in my article on custom menus the right way...
Halloween Menus
I talk about how to create a Halloween cocktail menu for your bar and the pros and cons of bespoke menus vs modified menus, (more here in my article on custom menus the right way!)

I mention the article that has gone completely viral this week on putting together a competition flair routine – Check it out and if you like it, share it!
Get on my mailing list if you want to be the first to see my Flair Training 101 videos as soon as they’re released, before they go live for the general public to see – You’ll also get my 10 Killer Cocktails eBook instantly and I don’t share your details with anyone, ever.
Tips 4 Tips – Employee Cloak theory and leaving your problems at the door!
Espresso Martini:
Chilled Cocktail glass garnished with three coffee beans

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean15:10718Episode 04: Bartender HQ podcast – Go Sober October!http://bartenderhq.com/episode-04-bartender-hq-podcast-go-sober-october/
Thu, 02 Oct 2014 20:00:55 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=708<p>Welcome back to Episode 4! Sober October Go Sober October started yesterday – be ready this weekend with the Mocktails for any of your guests supporting Macmillan Cancer Care, and they’ll really appreciate it! The Mixology Talk Podcast – something I discovered this week and listened to every episode back to back in a single […]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/episode-04-bartender-hq-podcast-go-sober-october/">Episode 04: Bartender HQ podcast – Go Sober October!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Welcome back to Episode 4! Sober October Go Sober October started yesterday – be ready this weekend with the Mocktails for any of your guests supporting Macmillan Cancer Care, and they’ll really appreciate it!
Sober OctoberGo Sober October started yesterday – be ready this weekend with the Mocktails for any of your guests supporting Macmillan Cancer Care, and they’ll really appreciate it!The Mixology Talk Podcast – something I discovered this week and listened to every episode back to back in a single day! Really nicely produced and some great information! They’ve been around for a little longer than our podcast so check them out!
Tips for Tips: Stand out behind the bar this weekend by making yourself look different from the rest of the staff – Even if you’re in a uniform there are always ways to look slick and stand out – and your customers are more likely to tip!

Shake and Strain into a cocktail glass
TIPS 4 TIPS
Break it to make it (find this and more in Jeremy Sherk’s awesome pair of Kindle books!)

Please, subscribe on iTunes, and leave a me 5 star review so we can spread the word and more people can find the podcast!

]]>David Eden Sangwell - BartenderHQclean8:45692Episode 002, The first rule of Flair Club is you DO talk about Flair Club.http://bartenderhq.com/episode-002-the-first-rule-of-flair-club-is-you-do-talk-about-flair-club/
Thu, 18 Sep 2014 16:15:46 +0000http://bartenderhq.com/?p=669<p>Episode 2 – We made it back for another week! On this week’s show: Featured Recipe: Spiced Syrup (One & Only the Palm recipe) West Midlands Flair Club Tips 4 Tips: Sweets update from Episode 1 and Sullivan’s nod. Ask David a question for the next show here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and iTunes!</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com/episode-002-the-first-rule-of-flair-club-is-you-do-talk-about-flair-club/">Episode 002, The first rule of Flair Club is you DO talk about Flair Club.</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bartenderhq.com">Bartender HQ, Cocktails, Bar Culture and More.</a>.</p>Episode 2 – We made it back for another week! On this week’s show: Featured Recipe: Spiced Syrup (One & Only the Palm recipe) West Midlands Flair Club Tips 4 Tips: Sweets update from Episode 1 and Sullivan’s nod.
* Featured Recipe: Spiced Syrup (One & Only the Palm recipe)
* West Midlands Flair Club
* Tips 4 Tips: Sweets update from Episode 1 and Sullivan’s nod.
* Ask David a question for the next show here.